


I Wish You'd Look at Me

by Ennaiel



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mythology, Character Death, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gorgons (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:28:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 35,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21848248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ennaiel/pseuds/Ennaiel
Summary: They say love knows no boundaries but they are at the extreme ends of the spectrum. What would become of a love born between a monster and a hunter?One Piece Mythology AU
Relationships: Boa Hancock/Monkey D. Luffy, Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco/Portgas D. Ace, Nami/Vinsmoke Sanji, Roronoa Zoro/Original Character(s), Roronoa Zoro/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30





	1. A Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The characters of One Piece are of course rightfully owned by the original artist. All other characters and the plot not relating to it are mine. Some cultures are portrayed in the story especially mythology and I would be very much obliged to cite my references when needed. 
> 
> Thank you I hope you’ll enjoy the story.

Ever since she was young, she loved listen to the sound of the sea, softly singing its usual song and touch the cold water with her hands. The rays of the sun caressed her face, warming it with its touch. She wished she wasn’t born with such cursed eyes, she wished to see the beautiful view again. 

How long has it been when she was able to see the world freely?

“Princess, the Empress is calling for you.”

She huffed a long breath and covered her eyes with a black ribbon when she heard a servant call out from behind her. 

Amazon Lily was blessed by the sun today, its rays shining upon the flower gardens where she was in. The palace was beginning to get busy as servants rushed in and around the hallways. A servant guided her to a large temple near the island cliffs, many of her people are waiting and stepped aside as she walked through the crowd. She carefully walked up to the marbled stairs until she reached a large platform on top of the temple steps. Her sisters are already waiting for her.

“Good Morning sisters” she greeted and was taken aback by Sandersonia who hugged her tightly. The green snakes hissed on her head.

“Ughh, Amaryllis. You can do the guarding on the next cycle, let me go instead.” her sister groaned

“Sandersonia let it go, our little sister will be safe” Marigold scolded as orange snakes slithered on her head.

“Sisters, I can handle myself just fine. We’ve talked about this” the youngest defended

“But still—“

Amaryllis could not help but sigh. Her sisters are being overprotective again but her task is indeed not an easy one. She could hear the lamias behind her, waiting for her to open the gate. Today was the day they would venture out to find a mate. 

“Is there something wrong?” Amaryllis asked Hancock, the current Empress of Amazon Lily and the oldest of the sisters. She just stood there beautifully with long black snakes flowing gracefully on her head.

At first they were hesitant to tell her but the oldest sister finally spoke, “There had been news of a strong human hunter roaming around”

“A hunter?”

“Yes, this hunter had reached Arachne’s island a month ago and slaughtered many of her kin. I just received her word of warning this morning.”

“It’s really awful, they went into hiding in the underwater temples even though spiders hate water. They say he’s Mihawk’s apprentice” Sandersonia frowned

A shiver ran up her spine, Dracule Mihawk was one of the feared hunters in the current century. Even her sisters had difficulty evading him and she had a bad experience with the said hunter. Both his tracking and fighting skills are one of the best. And what could be much worse than him having a student.

“Rumors say he’s a young man that wears a black bandana and wields three swords” Marigold added

Both Hancock and Amaryllis raised their brows, “Isn’t that a bit exaggerating?”

“The dryads who came into the island said so. They witnessed the hunter destroying the tree they lived in with one swift motion of his swords” Marigold defended herself

“I don’t think the dryads have any reason to lie to us sister.” The youngest said

Hancock nodded, “I think not too sister. They say he’s specifically looking for us”

“We’re being hunted?” Amaryllis asked

“We’ve killed a lot of humans before, it’s no secret that they’re after our heads for centuries. We should be wary if this hunter is as strong as they say. He may take advantage that it is our breeding season”

Amaryllis could feel her sisters’ concern for her, she is the youngest after all and considering her handicap, she’s not supposed to leave. However the hard work she’d done just to get out of the island would be in vain if she didn’t prove that she’s strong enough to fend for herself.

“Don’t worry about me.” She took Hancock’s hands in hers, “I can take care of myself. I’ll guard our people.”

The oldest sister sighed in defeat and patted her head, “Alright, I have faith that you’ll be safe. If anything happens, we’ll be ready to cross the gate”

She hugged her sisters goodbye and concentrated her magic to summon the large golden gate. A loud clang was heard when the metal landed on the stone platform. Amarylllis could feel her heart beat with eagerness, for the first time in her life she could be free, without any restrictions. She took a deep breath as she pushed the cold metal open and the lamias cheered as they began entering the portal.

She felt Hancock’s hand on her shoulder, “Be safe sister, remember to avoid humans” the serious tone was replaced with a more sarcastic and joking one, “Go have get laid with a minotaur instead.”

Amaryllis snickered then stepped into the portal with anticipation and upon reaching the other side, the connecting island called Sarpedon welcomed her with a calm billow of the wind. 

It felt exhilarating to finally leave Amazon Lily, the home of Lamias—half-women, half snake creatures who are ruled by the Gorgons, mainly by Boa Hancock. 

Amazon Lily is only inhabited by females as male lamias are very rare. In order to maintain the population, lamias can mate with humans and still give birth to lamia babies. However lamias are sought after and are being hunted to become slaves or for entertainment thus they seclude themselves in the island under the protection of the gorgons and wait for the cycle in order to breed. Once every 50 years, the gate is open once a week for a month, allowing the lamias to go in and out. Once the cycle ends the gate will disappear.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be this cycle’s overseer, Amaryllis” She heard a familiar cool tone voice say

“Hello Robin, I thought you’d still be in the bottom of the ocean, not in broad daylight” she smiled

“You know that the lamia breeding cycle is very amusing to watch. You finally convinced your sisters huh?” The black haired woman looked at the shore where the lamias transformed their snake half into legs and left Sarpedon.

Amaryllis nodded, she was the youngest of the gorgon sisters. A characteristic of a gorgon is they have snakes for hair but instead she had long black hair because she was born from a human father. Unlike lamias, it was a taboo for gorgons to have relations with humans thus the gods have cursed her when she was a child, a curse that made her blind. At an early age, she had to rely on her senses to survive. It was not much of a burden as her other senses are heightened like a snake’s. Vibrations and sounds in the air allow her to make a spatial image in her mind. 

Because of her handicap, her sisters were very protective of her and restricted her from leaving home. But after years of convincing they agreed to give her task of overseeing the ritual and the gate way

“Heyy!!! Amaryllis is that you?” A cheerful voice yelled from a distance

The gorgon turned to the direction of the voice, “Nami?” 

“Yes it is me! Robin, take her to the shore!”

Amaryllis gave a few reminders to the lamias guarding the gate and followed Robin to where Nami is. A cold wet hand touched her arm, “It’s so good to see you” Nami said and excitedly flapped her orange tail.

“How does it feel to be out now?”

She chucked, “It feels wonderful. How was your mating season?”

The mermaid sighed, “I did not catch anyone. Handsome and rich and good-in-bed guys are very hard to find these days”

“You’re already rich with the treasures from all those ships you’ve sunk. Get a guy already”

“Maybe next time, so what’s your itinerary now that you’re free without escorts for a month?”

“Hancock says I should get laid with a minotaur” and the three of them laughed

“I think a minotaur is for advanced women, like Robin here” Nami laughed, “How about you enjoy and sight see first then get a man later?”

“Sounds like a good plan. Let’s go to Jinbe’s new place in the Grand Line first, I could use some cold tea from this heat” Robin suggested and the other two women agreed.


	2. I See You

“Hahaha! Amazon Lily you say?” The captain of the fishing vessel laughed. 

“What’s so funny old man?” Zoro asked

The old man only grinned, “I envy young people like you, chasing after legends one after the other.”

Zoro had been sailing for a week now towards Paradise in Grand Line, he thought he’ll find his goal immediately however it proved to be wrong. Ever since Mihawk allowed him to hunt alone, hunting seems to become more difficult as he was really bad with directions. Zoro could already hear Perona’s teasing voice in his head. The old captain he was sailing with did not give much information either

“Why do you want to find Amazon Lily boy?” The old man asked and looked at his only passenger as he steered the helm, “Aren’t you scared of the Gorgons? The Kuja tribe of the lamias are also known for their hostility towards outsiders especially men. I’ve known hunters like you who went to find the island and never heard from again”

The younger male grunted, “Let’s just say I’ve got unfinished business” and held on his three swords with a grim expression on his face

“Seems like you’re not doing this for profit.” The captain observed the man sitting on his deck who commissioned him to take the man to the Grand Line, a dangerous part of the ocean known to sailors. He hesitated at first but the Zoro gave him a bag of drachma which could feed his family for months. It worried him that the hunter might be an amateur but upon looking at his focused eyes, he actually looked like a strong one.

A few hours later, Zoro disembarked on a small uninhabited island with a small boat. 

“Are you sure you’re fine here?” The old man asked, “You did pay me to take you to the Grand Line”

Zoro nodded, “Just point me the right direction and I’ll be fine. Your ship is unfit to sail waters filled with sea kings. My boat is lined with sea stone.”

They both stared at the small sailboat. 

“It’s only about 10 stadia away to the east. You’ll notice when you enter the calm belt because there’s no wind or ocean currents around. Then just continue to the same direction until the winds return”

“Thank you”

“Stay alive boy, it will really haunt me if you’ll die out here” 

The green-haired male grinned, “No need to worry about me geezer. Go home to your family”

“I hope you’ve got a plan if you’re going to fight the Gorgons, they’re technically gods and immortal. They can’t be killed with normal blades” The captain explained, “You should try to find the hidden island though”

“The hidden island?” Zoro perked up, it was new information he hadn’t heard yet.

“Hmm, a lot of people had dismissed it as a myth because no one actually seen it. It is an island with a portal that is only open during the lamia’s mating cycle. Locals say that Amazon Lily is protected by an enchantment that makes it difficult to find and enter through a ship but the gateway in the hidden island could allow you to enter.” 

He began hoisting the anchor back to his vessel, “But this is just a sailor’s tale, so I’m not sure if it’s real or just a myth”

“I’ll keep in mind old man. Thanks” Zoro watched as the fishing vessel sailed back to its original route then set sail.

He followed the captain’s directions but little by little the winds was starting to pick up speed and the sky began getting darker.

“Huh?” His brows furrowed, he was pretty sure the old man told him that there isn’t supposed to be any wind in the Calm Belt, “Don’t tell me I’m lost again”

The skies answered him with a roar of lightning and thunder, the waves beginning to stir and crash on his boat. 

“Shit” he said and adjusted his sails, hoping that he’ll be able to find an island before the storm could worsen. Of all the days he could get lost, it was in the middle of the ocean, in a storm.

Then three mermaids suddenly peaked out from the water, “Need some help?”

He raised his brow at the young girls who were meekly waiting for his reply.

“There’s a small island near here where you could rest and wait for the storm to calm down”

Zoro had some fair share of people and mythical creatures deceiving him and he had to learn to read one’s character, but he had to get out of the storm and the girls felt sincere to him so he said, “What do you want in return?”

The girls smiled cheerily, “Chocolate?”

He scratched his head, “Sorry girls, I don’t have chocolate on me”

“You can buy one in the island”

“Alright, show me the way”

A few moments later they arrived in an island away from the storm, the three girls transformed into humans then covered themselves with dresses and waited for him as he docked his boat. The island had a small town buzzing with humans and creatures alike. Gone is the era of hatred between the two races, after decades of war, they have learned to interact and harmonize with one another. Some creatures prefer to live separately and retain their hostility towards humans but there are only a few.

The girls had led him into a bar with a sign with a blue whale where they happily entered, pulling him inside. They walked towards the bar where a blue fishman was cleaning some glassware. Zoro looked around and the bar was getting packed and rowdy as the night falls.

“Welcome, how can I help you??” the fishman greeted

“Hello Jinbe!” One of the mermaids waved, then Jinbe looked at him with a small smile

“Kidnapped by these girls?” he asked

“Yeah, they saved me from a storm now I owe them chocolate” Zoro replied and dropped a few drachma on the counter, “Three bars of chocolate please”

The girl pulled his shirt, “One bar is enough for the three of us sir”

The hunter ruffled her hair, “You’ve been good girls, it is just to give you a reward. Don’t finish it all at one place or your teeth will rot”, he gave them the chocolates which they took with glee. 

The girls thanked him and hurriedly ran out to savor their treat.

Jinbe chuckled, “They’re such nice girls, and they’re not too greedy either. Chocolate is a small price, they've been helping many sailors cross these waters”

Zoro smiled, “Could I have a meal? And beer”

The fishman yelled to the cook then handed him a jug of beer which Zoro chugged, “Had a rough travel?”

“Yeah, just came all the way from East Blue”

“That is a long sail”

Hot dinner was served after a while, he gobbled it immediately and requested for some strong liquor this time. He watched the people dancing and drinking, a few pretty women were present and he felt a stir in his stomach. Maybe he’ll take a woman tonight as well.

An orange flash caught his eye and saw an orange-haired lady wearing a bikini and shorts laughing with two other ladies, He might have found his target. 

“You might want to be careful with that one” Jinbe warned when he looked at where Zoro was looking, “Nami’s a siren”

“Ohh” Zoro frowned. Sirens are known to be the more dangerous kind of mermaids, they would seduce men and drown them to their deaths. 

“How about the other two?” he asked

“Well Robin, the one with black hair and blue eyes is a sea witch and the other one is uhh—well—a human” 

Jinbe bit his tongue before he could even say gorgon, he had known the moment Zoro had stepped into his bar that he was a hunter. Gorgons were a very hot topic for hunters as they were one of the deadly forces in the past war but Amaryllis is kind, she often likes to hide her identity as a gorgon and Jinbe didn’t want to put her into trouble.

“Human?” Zoro asked, it was not unusual for different species to hang out together but it was a rare sight

He took a sip of his drink and looked at the other two, the woman named Robin was as beautiful as the other one, she was wearing a skimpy black dress and had a very mature personality. But the human actually intrigued him the most, she had flowing black hair and was wearing a dark purple dress. He could not fully figure out her face because of a black ribbon covering her eyes. But somehow out of the three, she’s the one he wanted to invite for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stadia is an ancient unit of measurement by Greeks that is equivalent to 185 meters or 607 feet


	3. Fated Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello agaiiin!!  
> I have made some corrections in Chapter 2 because I copied the wrong transcript. I am writing first in Word then I copy it here. Sometimes, I formulate different scenarios for the scenes and I copied the wrong one. Not much had been changed, only the latter part of the chapter.
> 
> I apologize for the inconvenience. I will make sure that this wont happen again. :)
> 
> Please enjoy the new chapteerr!!

“I don’t understand!” Nami cried out of frustration, obviously already affected by the alcohol

“Understand what?” Amaryllis asked

Robin chuckled and took a sip of her cocktail, “There’s a man over the bar who has been looking at our direction for a while now”

“Then why is Nami frustrated? He must be looking at her or at you right? Is he handsome?”

“Oh he is, I hope he comes over and just ask one of us out” the siren drawled

“Or both of you. Well, I’m going to bed. I’ve had enough alcohol for tonight” Amaryllis was weak with alcohol but they’ve been drinking since afternoon. She wobbly stood up and took a last chug of her drink.

“I’ll take you to your room” Robin stood up as well and handed Amaryllis her cane

“I’m fine, you better stay and watch over Nami. You could just show me to the exit”

She said her goodbyes to Jinbe and Nami then Robin took her outside.

“Nami and I will stay for a few more drinks and maybe she’ll find a man. Go to sleep and we’ll see you in the morning”

“Alright, good night” She waved at her friend goodbye and began to find her way to their inn.

It was the middle of the night and the streets were almost deserted aside from a few drunks. She heard a hissing sound from a nearby tree and she approached it, on one of the branches was a black mamba who happily slithered to Amaryllis when she reached her arms out.

“Hello, were you waiting for me?” she asked and stroked the snake’s scaly head, “Would you please lead me to the direction of the inn?”

The snake hissed in affirmation and wrapped itself around her neck

* * *

“Robin, I don’t think Amaryllis is in good condition to walk alone—“Nami drunkenly said but Robin held her hand up to interrupt her and pointed at the green-haired man at the bar who followed Amaryllis outside.

“Oh.” Nami looked surprised, “But Robin, he’s human! Amaryllis is not allowed to have relations with humans. Hancock will kill us!”

Robin merely looked at her friend and gave her a knowing smile, “Trust me”

The mermaid stared at her, “Uh oh, what did you see?”

Her friend just smiled coyly. Robin has been friends with Amaryllis for centuries and she had always looked out for her and never leaves her side, let alone leave her friend to a human man.

But as a sea witch she can see glimpses of the future, it was a handy ability in most times and her predictions are very accurate. Robin must have seen something that made her trust the stranger. Nami felt relieved but still with a little bit of worry. Robin is known to be a calculative and wise person, she was not one who will act without proper reason, and she will have to trust her on this.

* * *

The black mamba hissed loudly as Amaryllis walked towards a group of drunk men, she did not notice them at first but she could hear their slurred voices and the awful reek of alcohol.

“I guess a blind lady will have to do tonight” One of the men jeered and put his arm around her. “Hellooo Miss, mind joining me?”

The other men hooted in laughter, “Didn’t think you’d stoop so low that you’ll hit on a handicap”

“I haven’t had a woman in weeks, anyone would do just fine, and this woman is kinda pretty”

Amaryllis rolled her eyes, men are really troublesome creatures. Her sisters warned her that men are scum, she isn’t quick to judge people but these men are definitely on her negative side. She gave a little sigh when the black mamba bared its fangs to the man who screamed in surprise and pulled away from her.

“What the hell?!” He yelled, “This woman has a live snake on her!”

“She probably isn’t human” the others said and they began surrounding her

“Hey what are you?” one man asked

She just stood there, groaning internally, why does she have to deal with this people in the middle of the night?

-Let me just bite them my lady- the black mamba hissed

“There’s no need for any casualties, leave them be” she answered

“What are you saying?” She heard the man ask, closing his distance on her. “You’ll probably fetch a large price with the celestial dragons, now be a good blind monster and come with us”

Celestial dragons, a name that does not fail to make her feel angry and disgusted. She had always hated those arrogant humans who have exploited monsters for their own entertainment, using them like toys.

Amaryllis smiled sweetly at them, “Well, if you can catch me” then ran towards the main street of the town. The men immediately chased after her.

“Guide me to an alley” she commanded the snake

-Yes princess-

She ran, quickly tapping her cane on the ground while the snake directed her and warned her of obstacles. The men were fast, but she was faster and her stamina is far more superior. Her pursuers will get tired eventually and lose interest but in the meantime, she’s in the mood to play.

“Don’t let her get away!” she could hear them behind her

“How can she run so damn fast??!!"

* * *

Zoro is feeling like an idiot. He had the intention to follow the blindfolded lady but just after a few minutes of following her, he lost sight of her. He also felt like the idiot for even trying and he probably looks like a stalker right now. There’s just really something about that woman. Since his pursuit has failed and he has to sail early in the morning, Zoro decided to head back to the docks to get some sleep when he bumped into someone.

“Sorry” he muttered sleepily and continued on his way but a hand clamped on his shoulder, stopping him on his tracks

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Zoro raised his brow, “Ha?”

“Do you think you can get away with just a simple apology?” The man said in a harsh tone

“I already said sorry, didn’t I?” he replied and the man with a red clown nose and blue hair grabbed the lapels of his shirt.

“Who do you think you’re talking to? I am Buggy, one of the most renowned hunters in the world. You should show some respect”

The green-haired swordsman merely frowned, “Haven’t heard of you”

The man seemed to be offended, “Why youu—!” he raised his hand to punch Zoro but he kicked the man’s stomach. He fell on the ground clutching his abdomen.

“Boss!!” A couple of hunters who were in a ship by the docks yelled and began charging after him, he realized he was outnumbered. Instead of fighting, Zoro decided to run.

He ran to the town center towards the buildings so he can slip into the alleyways. Zoro backed into a dark alley after a few minutes of running, he hadn’t totally lost them yet as he could still hear their yells, desperate to catch him.

“Ooof”

Someone had bumped into him, he turned around to see the blind lady on the ground and taking fast breaths looking like she had been running as well.

“Are you alright?” Zoro helped her up and picked up her cane

“Yes, thank you” She took her cane. Zoro immediately took notice when she stiffened at the shouts of men not far behind her.

“Don’t tell me you’re being chased as well?” he asked

Amaryllis perked up to the cool tone voice of the man who helped her, he felt human to her but she had no idea if he was a friend or a foe as the snake who was on her neck fell when she bumped into this man, it probably slithered away somewhere.

“You too?” she asked

“Yeah, sort of.” He answered nonchalantly, “What got you into this mess?”

“I’m supposed to return to my inn but these thugs are too persistent” she sighed, “How about you?”

“Got mad when I bumped into him even though I apologized, so punched him in the stomach”

“Hmm good call” The gorgon can’t sense any danger with the stranger, he seemed laid back for some reason.

They shared a moment of silence when suddenly the men who were after Amaryllis had found them.

“There she is!”

“Oh come on” she groaned but she felt strong arms lift her off her feet

“Hold on tight, we’re going to run” her savior said, she held on to his neck and they ran back into the town center where the men finding Zoro joined the pursuit. They had no time to hide so he quickly ran towards the docks.

The scent of the woman was distracting him, she smelled of flowers. It was not too sweet nor pungent, it was a soft calming scent.

He quickly boarded his sailboat and placed the woman on the seat by the helm then went to remove the knot on the dock.

“I hope you don’t mind a little joyride” he said as he raised the sails, thankfully the wind was strong and quickly accelerated the vessel before their pursuers could get to them. Once they were in the middle of the sea, the woman started laughing.


	4. I Owe You

“What?” Zoro frowned, she was laughing like a mad woman. “Are you done yet?”

She composed herself and replied, “I apologize. I haven’t had that much fun in years. So mister, where are we?”

The island they came from was no longer visible due to the darkness, and what was in front them was the vast blue ocean, no other island was on sight. Zoro scratched his head, he had sailed without even knowing where he’s going.

“You don’t know, do you?”

He grunted a reply and the woman laughed again.

“Hey, I know where I’m going” he defended, “Just give me a minute”. Zoro went to the bottom deck of his sail boat and rummaged through his messy collection of maps and log poses. Once he had found the map for Grand Line, he went back up to see the woman facing the ocean. The black ribbon covering her eyes was gone and when she turned to face him, he saw purple orbs hypnotizing him from where he stands but her eyes looked different, looked more opaque.

The green-haired hunter said, “You’re blind”

She was caught off guard with his blunt statement but simply laughed, “And here am I thinking the cane and blindfold wasn’t too obvious”

Zoro said nothing and looked around with his spyglass, there weren’t any signs of anyone pursuing them. An uncomfortable feeling rushed into him, it felt like he just kidnapped her, he should return her immediately to her companions so he set his log pose to the back to the island's direction and turned the boat around.

“Don’t turn the boat around” The woman suddenly warned

“Don’t worry, we’ll go around to the back of the island so they won’t see us. Your friends must be worried, I have to get you back.”

“No that’s not what I meant. There’s a storm coming, if you turn around, the wind will rip the sails”

Zoro looked at the horizon, the night sky did not allow him to look at the clouds but the wind was indeed picking up speed and the waves are getting higher and harsher. A few moments later, he saw flashes of lighting. He cursed, it’s a much stronger storm than what he had encountered earlier that day. Unpredictable storms were one of the famous characteristics of the Grand Line as if someone just conjured it on a whim.

He clenched his teeth and tried to maneuver the boat against the crashing waves which dragged them like a toy. The wind howled and cold rain poured on them.

“Get inside the cabin!” He took her arm and guided her to the room downstairs

“Wait! I can help!” she said but Zoro was already running up to the deck.

Amaryllis merely sat on what seems to be a bed as the door slammed shut, leaving her in the darkness.

“Stubborn human” she muttered, but she also knew she wouldn’t be of much help either, she wasn’t adept with weather magic. So Amaryllis casted a navigation spell and her mind flooded with holographic images of the world map. The images projected are more of lines and dots but unlike normal maps, the spell can let her “see” the dimensions of the islands and the ocean depth accurately.

She was already too far from Robin and Nami to ask for help. The closest island they could go to is about a thousand stadia away. Holding on to the wooden walls, she walked towards the door to tell Zoro but the boat was suddenly rocked to one side, as if a large wave crashed on them.

Just as she opened the door, she saw a very huge wave towering over the boat and in a second crashed onto them and capsized the boat making her tumble across the room, hitting her head on the wall.

The mast holding the sail snapped into two. Zoro was thrown overboard and swimming in the cold water, trying to push his boat upright again when another waved crashed and pushed the boat onto him, causing the broken mast to pierce his abdomen. But he was able to push it upright, and held on the railings of the boat. Zoro gritted his teeth, there’s no way he’s going to die like this, not without avenging Kuina’s death. He eventually lost his grip and sank underwater, he prayed to the gods that he’ll somehow survive before it all went dark.

* * *

A few hours later in a small uninhabited island, Amaryllis emerged from the water, dragging the sailboat to the shore. She let out a primeval groan, her eyes were glowing yellow, like snakes eyes but with a white opaque film covering her slit-like pupils.

She was exhausted, her energy was almost drained from using magic for hours but they were able to get out of the storm. Her eyes receded back to her purple irises. Once the boat was out of the water, she immediately climbed to the boat where Zoro was lying on the deck, she checked for his breathing and heart beat which was both normal but his skin was cold. She checked his body for any injuries and eventually touched the large gash on his abdomen.

Amaryllis went to the forest where she released a small amount of her magic and loud hisses of snakes echoed, coming towards her.

She sighed rubbing the sore spot on the back of her head where it hit a wooden wall earlier, this was going to be a long night.

With the help of the snakes, she was able to find a water source and let it boil over the fire she made. Using a magical thorn she found in the forest, she sutured his wound with an arachnid’s silk. Thankfully, a few blankets and clothes were not wet from the storm earlier so she was able to change his clothes. She let him lay close to the fire so he wouldn’t get cold.

Some snakes hissed at her when she was changing his clothes. “What?” she asked the reptiles, “I’m blind, it’s not like I’ll be able to see anything”, But she couldn’t deny that it was like a warrior’s body, toned and well-trained. The hard taut muscles probably looked like a dream.

Satisfied with her work, the gorgon went to the spring and took a bath, scrubbing all the dirt and sea water on her skin. When she was done, she used a little magic to dry her clothes and went back to the boat. With the help of the snakes as her eyes, she went to work and dragged all the things she could find from the vessel, arranging them on the sand to dry.

Oddly, she was able to find a pair of heavy wooden cylindrical sticks. She inspected it carefully and felt a metal handle at the end, it was when she realised she was holding a sword. Amaryllis pulled the hilt and a familiar sound of steel rushed in her ears, it felt heavy in her hands but she imagined that if the man wielded it, it would just be like a knife.

Swords were often worn by a lot of people these days so she slid her palm on the blade side to test it and it easily cut her skin followed by a dull painful sensation. This confirmed her suspicion that it was made of silver, a precious metal that is very harmful to monsters and lethal when used as a weapon. Ever since the war ended a decade ago, most silver weapons were banned however sharp rare metal swords like this could only belong to a hunter.

Putting it back on its scabbard, she placed it down beside the man.

-Should I eliminate him my lady?- a mountain viper hissed and was about to bite Zoro but Amaryllis grabbed the snake.

“No, I owe this man. Until my debt is repaid no one is to touch him” she sternly said and the rest of the snakes backed off.

It was almost dawn when she finally felt the fatigue on her body, a lot of things are to be done but it could wait after a few more hours of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the very slow update, I'm was busy with school work for the past week. I will be posting a new chapter again withing the week. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!!


	5. First: When I met you

Rays of sunlight awaken him from his slumber. Zoro opened his groggy eyes and found himself staring at palm tree leaves. He could smell food cooking a few feet away from him.

—Where the hell am I?— His whole body was sore especially his abdomen. He winced at the pain as he sat up and assessed his body. All his wounds are neatly covered with bandages. Zoro blinked at the blind woman who was currently cooking in a pot over a fire. When he blinked again, he realized that last night’s wild goose chase as well as the storm was not a dream, he let out a groan.

“You’re awake. That’s good” He glanced up and saw the lady walking closer holding a bowl of stew, he noticed her intense violet eyes look at him as if she was looking into his soul.

“Please tell me if I’m about to reach you, my cane got lost in the storm and I don’t exactly know if I’m about to step on you” she said and Zoro put up his hand on her arm when she was almost in front of him.

“You took your sweet time sleeping” she continued and handed him the bowl of stew, “How are you feeling?”

“Never better. You have my thanks.” His voice sounded hoarse

“That’s good. But I suggest you don’t move around so much, your body has extremely weakened due to blood loss. I hope you don’t mind me going through your things, I had to find something to use for cooking”

He took a sip of the stew. The delicious taste surprised him, a rich taste of deer meat filled his mouth. At the corner of his eye he saw a bloodied corpse of a mountain deer, although not nicely done, it had been already stripped off its fur and flesh.

“Did you hunt the deer by yourself?” he asked.

“No” She said flatly, “The poor thing was already dead when I stumbled upon it”, the lie passed through her mouth smoothly as a snake’s tongue. She couldn’t possibly tell him about her early morning excursion that involved her roaming around the island to hunt with a cobra and an anaconda who carried their kill back to camp.

Amaryllis bit the inside of her cheeks to keep herself from laughing—She couldn’t possibly tell him that while she was a hunting, a hundred snakes were all over the place, guarding him.

“I see, so where are we?” Zoro asked but retracted his question, “Oh—sorry I didn’t mean—”  
Did he just ask a blind woman a stupid question?

“It’s alright. I don’t know where we are. I hit my head during the storm and lost consciousness. When I woke up, we’re already by the shore”

The hunter finished his food and got up to check and scout but she warned him, “You shouldn’t be moving around, your wound can open”

“I’m fine, this will heal in a day or two” Zoro stood up, wincing with the small pain.

“As you say, but you’d better clean yourself and change your clothes, you’ve broken a sweat from fever last night”

She reached for a set of clothes beside his makeshift bed, “Here are some clothes I found in your trunk. There’s a stream nearby with some clean water. Can you dress yourself or would you like me to help you?”

Zoro stared at her. How can she say such thing with a straight face?

“No, I can manage.”

“Alright then”

A few moments later, after gathering his things, he found the stream which was close to the shore. As he removed his bandages and washed his body, he thought of her. She seems like a very capable woman despite being blind, from finding food and cooking as well as finding a source of water on her own. It really nagged him, she couldn’t have possibly done it all on her own could she?

The idea that she might be a monster crossed his head. As a hunter, he was trained to differentiate monsters who look humanoid from real humans but he couldn’t sense anything different about her. Zoro shrugged the idea off and finished bathing, he wrapped a fresh roll of bandage around his torso and proceeded to change into a white shirt, black breeches and black boots.

Zoro returned back to shore and looked for his swords, he found them neatly place on the sand but he frowned when he could only see two of his three swords. He cursed as he might have lost them in the storm and it was his most important sword, Kuina’s sword. His heart sank, he couldn't have lost it in the sea. He searched the whole island for it looking for any signs of its white hilt and scabbard but after hours of searching, he found nothing.

Dejected, he went back to camp where he saw Amaryllis standing by his wrecked boat and joined her.

"Found what you were looking for?" she asked

"No" Zoro, clenched his fists. How can he be so careless?

"I'm sorry I cant help you find it, I hope the sea would return what you've lost"

The hunter looked at her, calmed down by the sincerity in her voice. “I would like to apologize for dragging you here, if it's alright, I would like to know your name”

She extended her hand, “I’m Amaryllis”

For some reason, her heart was beating a little bit faster when she felt his hand touch hers, “Nice to meet you, I’m Roronoa Zoro”

* * *

Robin sat on her bed reading while sipping her morning tea as Nami barged in her room looking hysterical, just as she predicted.

“Robin! Amaryllis is not in her room! I already asked the inn keeper and called Jinbe, they both had not see her!” The siren exclaimed.

“Oh she already set sail last night. She’s probably in a faraway island right now” Robin calmly said

“She’s what?! Oh dear, where is she? We have to find her. Sandersonia told us to keep an eye on her for the whole mating cycle.”

The sea witch coaxed her friend to sit on the bed and poured her a cup of tea, “If nothing changes in my prediction, we’re bound to meet her in two weeks. So calm down and relax.”

Nami just looked at the brunette, “I cant believe you’re so calm through all this. The sisters will have our heads if you’re prediction goes wrong”

Robin smiled, “I haven’t failed you yet, have I?”

* * *

Zoro stared at the wreck which was once a beautiful custom crafted sailboat Mihawk gave him. The mast is broken, the sails are tattered, there are holes in the hull and some of his belongings and supplies are either lost or drenched with sea water. He was kind of relieved when the liquor remained unscathed. He sighed, there's also the thing about one of his swords.

“How is it?” Amaryllis asked

“I didn’t think that it was this—uhh—bad. The sails could be patched up and the hull to some extent but I have to make a new mast.”

“Ohh, it sounds like a lot of work”

“It is—Look, this will take maybe 4 days or more. I hope you don’t mind staying in this island for that long”

“It’s not like I can go anywhere else” she smiled, “I can help you with the sails, if that’s going to lighten the workload.”

“That would be great”

For the next few days, Zoro made himself busy with the repairs while she did the chores. He made her do little to no work other than cooking and sewing the sails. He would also be the one to hunt and chop firewood. She also found it amusing that he had a bad sense of direction, she lost count of the times he got lost in the forest.

He didn’t talk much but if he did, he has a harsh tone but sometimes he would make his voice sound gentler when talking to her. He would prefer to sleep or drink booze if he’s done with work or had nothing else to do but he would strike up a conversation from time to time and she eventually grew comfortable with him even though only a few days had passed. He even gave her a few of his shirts to change into because she had only one dress.

But somehow, the feeling of closeness felt a little heavy. Amaryllis knew that all of these would end and she would be back to her uneventful life.

By the end of the week, the boat was finished with all of their hard work. Zoro let out a sigh of relief as the sailboat managed to float, there were a little bit of leaks in the hull but it might manage until they’d find a marina for repairs.

They were ready to set sail. “Ready?” Zoro asked and guided her up to the deck

“Yes, so where to now captain?” Amaryllis asked as he opened the sails which was perfectly fixed

“I’d like to take you back as soon as possible but the boat won’t make it if it meets another storm. I’ll have it repaired on the next island then take you home”

“Sounds like a good plan”

Zoro checked the maps and his log pose then steered away from the small desolate island.


	6. Realization

A few hours later they arrived in an island with a huge port filled with boats and large ships, there were a lot of boat shops lining the shore but Zoro steered from the main port into a cave at the side of the island. The cave was dark, fashioned like a long tunnel with only torches lining the walls to light up their way. Sounds of tinkering of metal and hammer hitting wood echoed and grew louder and more distinct as they moved closer to the interior. Amaryllis was fast asleep below deck and he didn’t want to wake her until they have arrived.

At the dock, was a man wearing only red pants and googles who was hammering a small boat. He glanced up at the sound of the sailboat and gave Zoro a large grin as he jumped down.

“Zoroooo!!!!!” The tall red-haired man ran to him and gave him a crushing hug

Zoro merely laughed and hugged him back, “Nice to see you again Kid, it’s been a long time”

Kid laughed with him, “It has been a year since you visited, where have you been all this time?”

“Hunting, here and there. But uh— I have little a problem”, the swordsman pointed at the wrecked boat and his friend walked towards it. Zoro is expecting to have an earful from him and avoided his gaze but instead he heard him say, “You’ve gotten married?”

Zoro immediately turned around to see Amaryllis standing at the edge of the boat, looking a bit confused.

“What the hell, Kid no! I’m not married” He defended but Kid ignored him and helped Amaryllis down to the docks.

“Shame on you Zoro, at least help your wife down and introduce her”

“I’m telling you she’s not my wife—“

“How about a cup of tea miss?”

Amaryllis blinked at the unfamiliar voice, “Yes, that would be lovely and I’m not Zoro’s wife”

“No need to lie for this seaweed head’s sake, I’m very much happy to congratulate both of you. Zoro has been single for a long time now and being a hunter, he does not usually have time to have a warm body beside him. I am happy that there is someone who will warm his nights. Also, stories say, he is good in bed—“

The hunter irritatingly slapped his hand on Kid’s mouth and proceeded to tell him how he and Amaryllis met and their current predicament. The gorgon only stifled her laughter as she listened to their bickering.

“And also, she’s blind.”

“Oh, sorry about that” Kid said, “My name is Eustass Kid, I’m a shipwright”

Amaryllis raised her hand, “I’m Amaryllis nice to meet you” and Kid shook her hand

“You’re a golem?” she immediately asked upon touching his hand.

She could almost hear him grin, “That’s right, you’ve met a golem before? We are easily distinguishable with the naked eye. But for you, you’re quite amazing for knowing just by touching”

“Yes, they visit my home more so often selling goods. Golems are very good craftsmen”

Golems have unusually large hands that are usually made of stone, wood or metal depending on their craft. Her sisters adored ornaments and jewelries made by them, they were the only creatures allowed to visit Amazon Lily due to their neutral nature.

“I can see that, your enchanted bracelet is crafted by someone I know”

“You know Law? He made this bracelet for me”

“Wow. What a huge coincidence. He’s my husband, he lives separately in another island not far from here, and I could take you to him if you want”

Zoro suddenly interrupted them, “I know it’s amazing that you two met but Kid, you’ve got to see Marimo”

“Alright” Kid sighed and easily read the question in Amaryllis face, “It’s the name of the sail boat”

“Oh”

“A friend named it for me, I just hadn’t any time to think of other names so I didn’t change it” Zoro defended as he stared at the shipwright inspect the dilapidated boat.

The shipwright’s easygoing aura became grim when he saw the boat, “I can’t believe you did this to my ship”

“It got caught up in a strong storm, I tried to repair as much as I can”

“And you did a very terrible job!” Kid exclaimed, “Marimo is the one of the greatest ships I ever built. She can withstand the worst storms with an EXPERIENCED AND COMPETENT SAILOR”

Zoro frowned at the shipwright still assessing the damages on the ship, “So how long would it take?”

“I will have to redo the mast and the outer lining of the hull. Gathering the materials would be a pain in the ass. This will take about a week”

“A week? That’s too long. Can’t you do it a little bit faster?”

“No can do mate, a week’s the shortest time I can manage. I do not like rushing things”

The hunter felt worried then turned to Amaryllis, “Are you okay with this? I could get another ship to take you home”

But she shook her head, “No, I can wait. And I think I’ll feel safer when the boat I’ll be riding is made by Kidd”

Kid grinned, “Alright, it’s settled then. For tonight, you can sleep in my house because it’s already dark out but you’ll have to transfer to Law’s place, it’s bigger and he’ll take care of you guys”

After dinner, Kid led them to the only extra room in his house which has only one bed and suggested that Zoro and Amaryllis would share but Zoro protested and went to sleep in his sailboat. They sailed early in the morning using Kidd’s ship, Kid and Zoro talked about the repairs the whole time but as for Amaryllis, she was eager to meet Law again.

Law was a jewelry golem, a very famous craftsman whose works are very rare and sought after. He could craft very intricate jewelries which even her sisters loved. He would only come to Amazon Lily once in 70 years with a caravan of craftsmen to present his jewelry to the sisters. The first jewel he gave her was a custom-made gold bracelet, studded with amethysts and diamonds, which she always wore. They became very close during his visits and considered him a close friend.

“Why are you living away from your husband?” She asked Kidd

Kid chuckled, “Law finds my tinkering a bit noisy, and he said he can’t concentrate with the hammering. I still go home once in a while though”

Once they arrived, Zoro described the island to her, it was quite small and its waters are surrounded by jagged large rocks as if to keep it from intruders. The island was a thick forest and in the middle is a cabin surrounded by a small farm and a field.

“Honey! I’m hooome!” Kidd yelled as he stomped into the house.

* * *

Law definitely heard the annoying voice in his front door. He sighed and put down the necklace he was working on and went upstairs from his studio, a little disappointed that the atmosphere will become noisy again but a little happy to see his annoying mate. Upon seeing the people standing on his living room, his eyes widened at the sight of a very familiar person.

“Why—“Law didn’t finish his sentence because Kidd pulled him into a tight hug.

“I missed you my sweet pumpkin. Did you miss me?”

Law answered blankly, “You were only gone for 3 days Kid, I wish it was longer” when he looked at Amaryllis, she was putting her lips as if asking him not to say anything.

“Look who I brought this time!” Kid broke away from the hug and gestured towards Amaryllis and Zoro.

“Long time no see Tralfagar” Zoro greeted

The jeweler just raised his eyebrows at him. “Up to no good again Roronoa?”

“Yeah, he just wrecked my boat” Kid added

Amaryllis heard the pout on Kidd’s sentence followed by a low grunt from Zoro, she could not help but think about her sisters who always fight.

“The troublemaker as always, I see you’re here with Prin—I mean Miss Amaryllis” Law bit his tongue and approached her, taking her hand into his, “Long time no see”

“It’s been a while” Amaryllis smiled as Law squeezed her hand which means –WE NEED TO TALK—

“You really know each other?” Zoro asked

“No need to state the obvious seaweed. She's been my uhh- client” He snapped

“Alright, alright calm down” Kid went in between them, “Zoro come with me and help me gather wood for your boat. Let’s leave the ladies to catch up”

As soon as the two left, Law bowed down to Amaryllis.

“Your Majesty”

“Lift your head up Law. We are not in the palace” Amaryllis grinned, “You did not tell me that you were married”

Law sighed, “I do sometimes pretend that I did not marry that goof.” He guided her to the dining table and headed to the kitchen to get a freshly squeezed orange juice from his farm then sat beside her. Amaryllis immediately fired away with her story, telling him about the breeding cycle, getting drunk with Nami and Robin until the storm. It took an hour to finish the story and answer all of his questions.

“You three seem very close” the gorgon commented as her companion gave her a slice of lemon pie from the oven.

“You could say that we watched him grow up, when Kidd and I were still living in the Kingdom of Moby. He was adopted by King Newgate after the War when he was about 7 years old”

“But he’s human”

“He is a Halfling, but his parents are of unknown origin. He was brought up in a human village until the War which destroyed his home”

Halflings were monsters who retained their human blood. Most would just be normal humans but some could manifest their monster side. This caste is not usually accepted by monsters and humans alike. Amaryllis is considered in this category but was considered a monster since she manifests more of her gorgon blood.

“What happened?” she asked

“As far as I can remember, his hometown was destroyed by monsters and he was the only survivor. It’s the reason why he became a hunter, he wants to have revenge for his village.”

Law suddenly grabbed her hands, “I am in no position to say this but his village was killed by gorgons”

Amaryllis stiffened, in the past war 15 years ago, her family was one of the powerful forces in the War against humans together. Her oldest sister, Hancock was dead set on eliminating human beings and making them slaves only to be used for mating with lamias. Amaryllis was entirely against it but the decision was outnumbered because Sandersonia and Marigold also second the motion. In the end, a lot of lives were lost from her siblings' rampage.

A thought suddenly clicked in her mind, she remembered what her sisters told her about a strong hunter trying to go after their heads. Her grip tightened on Law’s, “It’s Zoro, isn’t it? The one described in the stories who was trained by Mihawk?”

“That’s why I’m very surprised to see you with him my lady, it seems he doesn’t know that you’re a gorgon yet but it would be very dangerous. You should leave before he realizes it, despite being an idiot, he is a powerful hunter”

She felt her heart drop, how could she not realize it. The snakes in the island were constantly warning her, as well as the swords she found. She let her guard down on an enemy, her blood began to boil but it dissipated quickly, for some reason she did not feel anger but pity.

“However,” Law continued, feeling her anxiety, “I will not allow you to kill him Your Majesty. Zoro is a person important to me and my husband, he hasn’t done anything to the gorgons yet if we have to persuade him to stop then—“

“Law, calm down. I am not going to kill him. You have a point, he did nothing to my sisters yet and I doubt he would be able to find Amazon Lily. And I owe him so there’s no need to fret, I won’t hurt him”

“Thank you very much Princess. But I suggest to end your journey with him here before he finds out and hurt you. I would be happy to assist you to leave the island if you wish”

"No". She doesn't want to hurt a human, it was not really her nature but she doesn't want to leave him alone either, he might actually end up killing her sisters. For the past week that she'd been with him, she did not feel any malice or blood lust in him, she felt like he was the type of person who would only draw his sword when truly needed. For a moment, she was ready to cut off his head but for the short time that they were together, she felt that he was a good man.

Amaryllis felt a heavy feeling in her heart, she didn't want to fight him and she doesn't want to go against her sisters despite the deaths they've caused. So a ridiculous idea entered the gorgon's head.

"Do you think I may be able to change his mind? Or I could stay and try to lead him out so he wont be able to find my sisters " she asked and Law's jaw dropped like she was insane and instantly lectured her how dangerous it would be but Amaryllis did not listen.


	7. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello! It's been a long time since my last chapter! I've got time to update today because there's a suspension of classes due to the COVID.
> 
> Keep safe everyone! Always wash you hands!

For the next few days, Zoro spent his time helping Kid repair Marimo. The boat was brought to Law’s island so they would not waste time going back in forth from his workshop. He wiped the sweat off his brow as he continued to slice the wood using a saw according to Kid’s instructions while the ship wright himself is working on putting it on the boat.

At the corner of his eye, he saw someone walking towards the dock. Amaryllis was holding a basket that seems to contain their lunch. He hadn’t realize his hunger until she came into his view.

“Wait over there!” He yelled and walked away from his task to go to her and took her hand, “You can let go of the rope now”

Amaryllis let go of the rope and Zoro led her to a small shed near the docks. She was the one who would often cook and deliver their lunch whenever Law is busy with his work. To help her navigate around, Law and Kidd were kind enough to surround the pathways with ropes.

“You shouldn’t really go out in this heat, you could have asked Bepo” The hunter scolded, frowning at the yellow shirt and black pants that Law loaned to her. He made a mental note to find suitable clothes for her.

“I’m fine, Law gave me a hat” Amaryllis gesturing a white hat with brown polka dots then handed him the basket, “Bepo is helping Law in his current commission, and you guys should have a little break”

Bepo is a polar bear mink that helps around Law’s home. He was very cheery and friendly contrasting his master’s serious demeanor. Amaryllis was happy to chat around the mink as most them were busy and did not allow her to do any work. Zoro yelled for Kid to come and eat and the three of them sat and ate their lunch while sharing stories in the shade.

Until the shipwright screamed and scurried behind Amaryllis.

“Why in Tartarus are you screaming like a ten-year-old child?” Zoro screamed back at him while covering his ears. Kid grabbed the lapels of his shirt and pointed at a slimy creature about a meter away from them.

“Oh it’s a snake” the hunter stared at the long gray reptile with black stipes with a weird yellow mouth.

“It’s not just a “snake” you moron, look at its mouth. It’s a yellow-lipped sea krait. It’s a very venomous snake”

“If it’s a sea snake then why is it on land?”

“Such an idiotic question coming from you” Law appeared beside them, “There are species of sea snakes that can travel on land. I’m surprised that you’re not yet dead. This is common knowledge to among sailors”

“Why are you always trying to bite my ass?” Zoro groaned

“Who would even like to bite your stinky ass? I’d rather bit Kid’s”

Kid screamed again, “It’s coming closer!!”

The three looked at the sea snake, slithering closer towards them. “I say we cut off its head” Zoro picked up his sword and prepared to behead it but, Amaryllis who was holding her laughter the whole time, stood up and went to pick up the snake.

“Amaryllis! What are you doing!!!??” Kid yelled at her and shook the seaweed head, “Zoro do something!!”

Amaryllis could hear the hissing of the snake just a few steps in front of her. Slowly, she reached down so the snake can slither onto her arm. Zoro was unable to do anything as Amaryllis was happily holding the snake on her hand. “See, no need to kill it, it doesn’t bite”

“It does bite! Throw it away!!” Kid hid behind Law

“Amaryllis, put that thing down.” Zoro was already holding his sword at its hilt but Law put a hand on his shoulder.

“Calm down seaweed, it’s not doing us any harm” he said then turned to Amaryllis, “Why don’t we put it back to the ocean before my husband faints”

The craftsman lead Amaryllis near the water, a fair distance from Zoro and Kid where they can’t hear the two of them.

“You should be careful about these things my lady” Law sighed, “They might suspect something”

“They won’t” The gorgon reassured her, “Really, you shouldn’t come into land when I am with people, you were almost killed” she scolded the snake and it hissed like it was defending itself. She sighed and brought out a piece of meat from her lunch and gave it to the snake who quickly swallowed it. When it was finished, Amaryllis asked, “So what is it you want to tell me?”

Law observed the conversation and saw the princess’ expression turn grim, “What is it?”

“A few of the lamias have been captured in an island northwest of here, I have to get to them the soonest time”

“But the boat isn’t ready yet my lady”

Amaryllis turned to her friend, her eyes were glowing yellow out of anger, and there was the presence of a slight pressure in the air, sinking frighteningly into Law, “Those humans, they think they could just take my people”

“Please calm down” Law took her hand, feeling the urgency of his friend. It’s common for monsters to be taken as captives, they would be sold off to wealthy merchants and would be exploited for entertainment, for labor and even experiments. They are of different species and he would not often offer his help but Law could not help but think of his people being used the same way.

“I can drag the two idiots away from the island for a short time. You can use the time to get away unnoticed”

The gorgon faced him, “How much time do I have?”

“About three hours is the best I can stall”

“That’s enough time for me” Amaryllis instructed the snake to stay close and show her the way once the three leave

* * *

  
Zoro and Kid are still in the shed, drinking the fresh orange juice Law brought earlier.

“They’re taking too damn long” He said

“Nah, they’re probably taking the snake to a secluded part of the island far from you. Law hates it when animals from the island are harmed.”

He simply nodded and thought of Amaryllis holding the snake. No normal human could hold a venomous snake without being bitten. He’ll have to ask her about that later. Suddenly he felt a strong pressure of magic surround the area, even Kid sat upright and looked around as if looking for something. The magic felt so familiar, something that he could never forget for years. Instinctively, he held on to his two swords while observing the surroundings.

Anger welled up in him but Kid shook him before he could explode, “Get it together, the mana is faint, for all we know the gorgon could be a few islands away from us”

“What if they’re just near?”

“I doubt it, I’ve felt their presence during the War. If they’re near, they’ll really let you know. You’ve felt it too before, how their presence would overwhelm you with fear”

Zoro’s mind flashed quickly 15 years ago, when it was all blood, agony and pain, “I spent so long searching for them, if I could just follow—“

“Don’t sweat it, they’re probably a thousand stadia away you won’t be able to catch up to them. Calm down, getting angry won’t help”

Zoro took heed of his friend’s advice and took a deep breath. Just as he calmed down, Law and Amaryllis came into view.

“What happened to you guys?” Law asked, “You look like you’re about to fight each other”

“Nah, just the snake bugging Zoro off” Kidd grinned

* * *

Zoro could not help but worry, Law suddenly told them that they were going to buy some things in the other island but Amaryllis wouldn’t come with them.

“Are you not feeling well?” He asked, slightly hiding his dejection, he was planning to buy her some clothes

“I’m alright” Amaryllis grinned, “It’d just better if I’d keep an “eye” on the island”

He groaned, “Please stop with the puns.”

She only laughed, “Now go, I’ll be staying right here with Bepo.”

He observed the polar bear who was standing behind her. “Don’t worry Mr. Hunter, she’ll be safe here”

Law’s impatient yell came from Kidd’s boat, “How long are going to stand there! We want to be home by night fall!!”

With last one glaring look at Bepo, Zoro headed for the boat and watched as Amaryllis’ figure become a tiny spec at a distance.  
Amaryllis waited by the docks, she could hear the sea snake just swimming below the wet wooden floor, waiting for its master.

“Are they gone?” She asked Bepo

“Yes, Mr. Hunter was very scary” Bepo chuckled as he gave her a stick as her makeshift cane, a coat and a bag full of water and some bread. “But honestly Your Highness, you look scarier than him”

She hadn’t met Bepo in the past however due to his mink nature, he was able to tell that she was a gorgon. Even without Law’s order, Bepo kept her identity a secret and even helped her hide it at times. The gorgon’s yellow eyes glowed as the sea snake slithered onto her neck, telling her where they would go. Magic filled the air as she was ready to take off.

“Please have a safe trip and be back an hour before sundown” Bepo waved and watched as the magic she casted surround her like a small tornado and in an instant, all what’s left is her foot prints in the sand.

* * *

She arrived in the rocky shores of a small island, it looked desolate and she doubt it even has a town. The snake guided her to the shore onto a less sandy ground of a small forest within the island. There, she unleashed a navigating spell at the tip of her make-shift cane and let her inspect the terrain. There seems to be small town with a few people just a little further from her direction.

Amaryllis pulled the cloak and walked towards the said town however as she drew closer, the navigation spell indicated that there were only 3 structures in the island, she could only make up its silhouette but it seemed like houses to her. She could feel the lamias in the island but she couldn’t pin point where, there were no presence of other monsters but only a bunch of humans in the vicinity.

Just to be careful, she hid herself in the trees and summoned a dozen of small cobras to search the area. The gorgon waited quietly as the sky began to turn orange, hopefully she’ll make it before Zoro comes back. Her mind drifted off to the hunter, his voice before he left sounded disappointed, did he somehow want her to come with him?

It was a small thought that made her smile and she would have loved to go but her priority as the overseer of her people comes first. What will her sisters say if there would be casualties on her watch? She could not afford to fail them or her hard earned freedom could be taken away by her mistake.She shivered as a small cobra slithered in her clothes towards her neck to whisper in her ear. She first casted a small spell so she could go in undetected then quietly headed towards the houses and made her way to the smallest of the three.

There were a few humans patrolling around carrying swords on their hips which she assumed was silver as she felt a little bit repelled by the said weapon. Amaryllis slipped past them and entered their base, the snake told her that the entire house was empty but there was a stairway leading to an underground bunker. She could smell the distinct smell of blood. Wasting no time, she headed down the stairs and was met by a tunnel lined with silver pillars. Anger rushed into her veins, to think that humans would go this far to exploit her kind. Silver of this high concentration will weaken even her sisters, and surely monsters who are weak will succumb to the effects of silver and die.

The gorgon walked around, looking for the room where they held the lamias. Apparently, the underground structure was meant as a prison for a variety of monsters, their cages were made of pure silver. The snake told her that there were werewolves, fairies, a few earthly deities, centaurs and other more, all weakened by silver. Once she reached the cage that held two arachnids, half-women, half-spiders, they immediately recognized her.

“Amazon Lily’s Princess! Have you come to free us?” One bowed and moved closer to the rails but she couldn’t touch it.

“How long have you been here?” Amaryllis asked

“About a week” Answered the other arachnid who looked more fatigued.

“Are there any lamias who were brought in here recently?”

The arachnids nodded and telling her that they were brought deeper into the prison.

“I will let you go, tell the other monsters that I will let them go once I free my people. While you’re at it, make sure to that no guards will come after me”

The two nodded and bowed. Amaryllis held the rails, wincing at the painful searing sensation on her palms but she beared with it until she was able to pull the heavy silver door off. They joyfully went out and stretched their legs, “Thank you Princess”, they said then crept away to follow her orders.

As for the gorgon, she continued on to a much darker hallway while hearing the screams of men echoing from once they came from. Guess blood shed couldn’t be avoided, the arachnids were probably hungry and they lost so much mana during their captivity.  
The cobra hissed that they were already at the last cell in the said hallway and indeed she could sense 4 lamias in the cell, all very weak. Her hands were healing slowly because of the silver but Amaryllis grabbed the silver cage and pulled it off. Its occupants were awoken by the noise and rejoiced when they saw her.

“Your Majesty, you shouldn’t be here” a lamia said and held weakly on her arm. Amaryllis gritted her teeth, they all sounded so beaten, drained from their strength. She gave them the canteen of water she brought casted a healing spell around the four, momentarily giving them strength.

“How in my sister’s name did you get here? Who brought you here?” She asked

“The humans who brought us here, they baited us to mate with them but instead they made us drink powdered silver, we were unable to fight them” one of the girls answered

“One of them told us that they were working for the Celestial Dragons” the other added.

“Hey!!” A human shouted from behind them, pointing a sword “What are you doing?!”

Immediately, the cobra on Amaryllis’ neck jumped and bit the man who screamed out in pain.

“We don’t have much time, grab the two and let’s get you out of here” The two lamias nodded and supported their other sisters who were still weak. Once they were out in the corridor, the screams were louder and heard metal clashing metal. A few humans were about to attack them but Amaryllis just swiped her hand and they were thrown back. Casting a strong magic, she made an explosion that caused the cells of other monsters to be destroyed and set its prisoners free.

It was complete chaos, one human in particular looked at Amaryllis and after realizing what she is, he ran to the other house and grabbed a den den mushi, “Sir! Can anybody hear me? There’s a gorgon attacking the base, I repeat! There’s a gor—ughh!”

The man slumped onto the floor as the arachnid retracted her sharp leg from his torso. “I think he’s the last of them my lady”

Amaryllis nodded and overlooked as the monsters began to leave the island. She made sure that the lamias were teleported safely to Sarpedon. Once she was the only one left, she concentrated her rage into a powerful magic spell that will be felt even a thousand stadia away. And in a few seconds the whole island blew up into chunks of rocks and dirt, which sunk together with the silver the humans used not to be seen again.

* * *

“Quit whining seaweed, Bepo is more capable than you” Law couldn’t help but scold his friend who was moping as they bought their supplies.

“I’m not whining” Zoro defended and pretended to look at the display of swords in one stall. But Law knew there was something more to his friend’s current mood, so he let Zoro off to look around.

Zoro felt uneasy since he left the island, it felt like something may happen to Amaryllis but since Law and Kidd reassured him that nothing will happen, a gut feeling he can’t erase if filling his insides, ever since he felt that gorgon earlier. To take his mind of things he went around the town’s shops and stalls looking for a good sword that he can temporarily reuse since he lost Kuina’s sword but after roaming around he found nothing with reliable quality.

“Guess I’ll have to go to the Kingdom of Moby to get a new sword” he muttered to himself as he set out to find his companions but his gaze shifted when he saw a lavender dress in a stall which he ended up buying together with a purple ribbon and a pair of sandals of the same color.

He immediately thought of Amaryllis when he saw the dress and wondered if she would like it. He dragged her into this mess because of his carelessness and maybe he will be able to make it up to her with this. He arrived just in time on their boat when the two golems were already loading their purchases. Zoro was about to climb up when he felt it again, this time an even stronger pressure weighing above him with the sound of a large explosion from the distance.

This time other people in the island felt it too, they stood terrified of what they’ve felt. Even Law and Kidd were motionless. The people in the town began to panic and return back to their houses, a few of them set out to investigate. For some reason, he had a sense of direction because he realized that the sound came from the direction of Law’s island.

“We have to go now!” Zoro hauled the anchor and set sail immediately. He prayed silently that it wasn’t Law’s island and Amaryllis would be safe

* * *

Amaryllis heaved out a heavy sigh as she landed roughly back to the island, but not on the docks, her spell made her teleport on the backside of the island because of fatigue. Being a half human has been a burden to her in time like this, she would easily exhaust her mana and leave her tired every time she casts a spell. But thankfully she was able to save the lamias and arrive home exactly an hour before sunset.

Thankfully there were a few snakes on the shrubbery that guided her back to the cabin, just as she entered the back door leading to the kitchen, she heard Zoro’s voice almost yelling, “Where is she?”

Her heart suddenly panicked, they’re back home too early not knowing what to do, she crouched down and went around the house to find the window for the bathroom. She was dirty and her cloak was full of blood, they’ll definitely suspect something. Amaryllis could hear Zoro’s voice still looking for her. With the help of the snakes, she was able to find the window and felt blessed by the gods when it was unlocked, she hurriedly climbed in and took a bath and scrubbed every grim and dirt from her body.

She heard a soft knock on the wooden door, then Bepo spoke, “It was a good thing I smelled and heard you head here so I told them you were bathing. Please change your clothes, I’m afraid mister hunter will kill me if you don’t come out of the bathroom at this moment”


	8. Midnight Decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! I know it's been a slow update but I have finished the story and will upload everything within the day so there wont be any cliff hangers.
> 
> Enjoy reading!

Once Amaryllis came down stairs, she heard someone sigh from relief. She asked, “Is there something wrong?”

“I told you they’re fine” Law said, “The explosion seems to come from a farther island”

“The island would have been blown up with that explosion to be heard thousands of stadia away” Kid surmised. “Well, it’s good to see that you guys were not affected. You can calm down now Zoro, before your head grows anymore algae”

“I guess you’re right” she heard Zoro say and felt a little nervous. Has she been caught? She could not see their facial expressions so she was not sure.

“Did you feel the explosion as well?” Kid asked Bepo

The mink nodded, “It was quite intense”

Law squeezed Amaryllis’ arm as he guided her to the dining table where Bepo was serving their food. The gorgon kept silent as they discussed about the incident, she tried her best to keep calm and pretend she didn’t know anything.

“It must be that gorgon we felt earlier” Zoro said from beside her.

Kid hummed in approval, “There are not so many powerful monsters who can cause a big ruckus. It must be one of the sisters”

“We should have searched for her when we had the chance. She could have terrorized the island”

The bread in Amaryllis’ throat suddenly felt dry.

“Stop kiding you moron” Kid laughed, “If it was the eldest sister then you would have been immediately turned to stone and smooshed”

“Hah. If I saw her, I will immediately behead that thing” Zoro nonchalantly said, then there’s suddenly a kick under the table.

Law glared at the swordsman and his husband, “Don’t say such vulgar things while eating”

“But still, you’re no match for the gorgons yet. You can’t even find their island, how can you even kill one?” Kid continued to jest

“It’s not just me having a hard time finding it, even Mihawk does not know where it is. They said it’s surrounded by a very strong enchantment, probably made by blood. But I heard a story from a fisherman that there’s an island that contains a portal that leads into the main island, the lamias use it as a gateway. Maybe I could capture one and make it show me the island”

Amaryllis stiffened, her grip the wooden spoon tightened. She began to feel anxious and her head was throbbing. She remembered the lamias she saved earlier and how helpless they were, exploited for personal gain. There was a sudden pulse of rage in her head.

But Zoro spoke again and the next thing he said surprised her, “However, I’m not that kind of person. I prefer not to hurt anyone so I’ll just continue searching for the island on my own”

Her rage dissipated and was followed by relief. For a moment, she actually thought of killing Zoro. There was suddenly a slight stench of blood and felt a burning sensation on her hands, looks like heer hand has not healed properly yet and she held the spoon too hard, so she stood up before anyone could see it.

“I’m going to bed first” She smiled, hiding her hands behind her back

“Are you alright?” Zoro held her arm before she could leave

“A little dizzy, but I just need some sleep”

Zoro thought that she did look pale so he let her arm go, but before reaching the steps, Amaryllis collapsed and he caught her before she hit her head on the stone floor.

“Amaryllis!” it was the last thing she heard before she drifted away.

“Damn” Zoro gritted his teeth and place her on a couch. She looked very pale and almost out of breath. Behind him, he heard Law instruct Bepo to get herbs in the forest, while Kid started a fire to boil some water. The hunter noticed a red tinge on her clothes, it looked like blood when he inspected it. Worried, he check her head if she hit it somewhere but found nothing, so he looked at her arms until he saw her hands.  
He frowned, her palms looked like it was burned by something. It was bleeding and Zoro was about to call for Law when her hand began healing, he was unable to say anything and watched until her palms were healed. When it was finished, Amaryllis woke up, blinking like she’s still thinking what just happened. Her pallor also returned to normal.

Law knelt beside Zoro and asked, “Are you alright?”

Purple opaque eyes turned to them and blinked again, “What happened?”

“You passed out but only for a few minutes” Zoro explained

“Oh, I didn’t hit my head?”

“Thankfully no” she heard Law say “I’m going to brew an herbal tea so try to lie down for a while and rest” Then there was rummaging in the kitchen.

“I must be tired” She placed her hand on her forehead and realized that her hands do not hurt anymore. It probably healed while she passed out. She sensed that there is still someone beside her.

“Law?” she called out

“It’s me” Zoro’s deep voice filled her ears

“Oh”

She kept silent, Zoro did not say or did anything either. Law came back a few moments later, together with Bepo and Kid who said something about taking her to a doctor.  
Zoro helped her sit up and Law handed he a warm cup of tea. It smelled like a mixture of chamomile and mint leaves.

“How are you feeling?” Kid asked as she took a sip of the tea

“A little dizzy but other than that I’m feeling fine”

“You should rest, I’ll prepare your bed, you better finish up your tea”

“Yes mother”

Bepo helped her up towards the guest room, let her settle on the bed while Law stoked the fire in the fireplace in her room. As soon as Bepo said his good nights and left, she felt Law sit at the edge of the mattress.

“What happened in the island?” Law asked

“There was a prison for monsters, not only lamias, a lot of our kind are exploited. I felt that it was made for us, the cells were all made from silver. The place was filled with fear and pain, I just had the impulse to sink it all into the ocean”

“It was a good choice but you shouldn’t use strong spells like that, your stamina is already depleted from using too much mana, your body might not be able to keep up. And also Zoro is already aware of your presence and will not pass the opportunity once he encounters a gorgon. He might suspect something if you continue.”

“I know” Amaryllis closed her eyes and thought of the words he said about gorgons a while ago, “He must really hate us”

“I can’t blame him, he lost everything in the war. He was merely a brat when he was brought to King Whitebeard but when I first saw him, I could not even see the light of his soul, he felt empty and like he wanted more to die than to live. Kid and I, we had a strong attachment to him, we pitied the small child for it was not his place to suffer.”

“How did Mihawk find him?” she asked

“Three years after he was taken in, there was word during that time that Mihawk is looking for a disciple. Zoro requested King Whitebeard if he could be a candidate because he wanted to become a hunter and after they met, Mihawk eventually took him as his disciple”

“What? A hunter is good terms with the king?”

“I think they are more like old acquaintances, King Newgate did agree to hand over Zoro to him”

Mihawk’s name was enough to give her shivers. She met him before the War began, it was a time when the tension between humans and monsters was on the verge of breaking out a war and this was the time they began to take sides and gather forces against each other. She was barely 5 years of age when she travelled with Hancock to West Blue for a treaty with the dark elves located in a large dense forest. At that time she was already blind for a year and as a young child becoming blind all of a sudden had taken its toll on her.

Amaryllis longed for her mother who died at the same time she was cursed. She longed to see color, her sisters and the blue sea again, it was her darkest time. So her eldest sister who had just become empress decided to take her out into the world to lift up her spirits.

When they arrived in the forest, her sister allowed Amaryllis together with a lamia as her guard, to roam around the forest. She was just learning to use the snakes to help her navigate her surroundings so they explored around to help her get used to it. When they reached a small spring, the lamia suddenly turned protective and asked her to turn back. But she stood still and asked what was wrong.

A man’s voice suddenly interrupted, “I have not seen a lamia guarding a human child before” then she heard a sword unsheathe, “Or is that a gorgon behind you?”

The lamia immediately yelled at her to run and out of fear, she did. She tried to get back to her sister together with a small snake she clutched in her hand who whispered to her where she should go while she heard metal clashing from behind her. Tears filled her young face as she run as fast as she can, bumping into big trees and stumbling along large tree roots but she stood quickly back up.

Horror filled her veins when Amaryllis heard someone running after her. She tried to run faster but her eyes could see nothing but darkness until she stumbled in one of the tree roots and let go of the small snake. She felt a presence in front of her and the feel of a silver object near her throat, it had the faint smell of blood. It was then she realized that the man was a hunter, it envelope her with fear.

“You.—You’re blind” The man from earlier said, he probably saw her eyes

“What are you? Why is a lamia with you?” He pointed his silver sword nearer to her neck

Amaryllis could not say anything, and her tears kept spilling down her face but then she felt a familiar presence near her. The man let out a grunt as if someone hit him. The silver was no longer near her throat so she stood up and ran into the embrace of Hancock.

“Mihawk” she heard her sister say, “You dare lay a hand on my people”

“Hancock” he acknowledged, “I think it’s now Empress Hancock”

“I do not acknowledge those who kill my kind”

“The war had not started yet, I prefer to keep the peace a little longer. Besides, it was the lamia who attacked me first. She’s just injured”

Hancock signaled to the other lamias to take a look.

“But” he said and gestured towards Amaryllis who was being carried by her sister. “I'm curious who that girl is.”

“That is none of your concern hunter”

“Is she a gorgon? Or a Halfling perhaps?”

“I have no interest to answer any questions” Hancock snapped and her embrace on Amaryllis tightened

As soon as the other lamias reappeared from the woods together with their injured friend, Hancock immediately conjured a teleportation spell around all of them but Mihawk. His yellow eyes never left the child in the gorgon’s arms. As soon as they got home, Amaryllis cried relentlessly and her sisters coaxed her until she fell asleep. From then on, her sisters never let her leave the island. She was not even allowed to meet the monsters who visit the island to hide her identity except for a chosen few. Law, Nami and Robin were some of them. Hancock made sure that her existence was not known to hunters, as she is the most vulnerable of them.

That’s why it took a long time to convince her sisters to let her out, it took years of waiting but it was worth it. And she was going to use this time to prove to them that she can handle herself.

Amaryllis asked again, “You said he was a Halfling, what is he?”

"I do not know. He never said anything about it and, he even looked upset when Kid brought it up before so we didn’t try to pry further. He did not manifest any of it, even as a hunter now." Law shook his head, "By the way, I have to remind you before Kid finds out, he doesn’t know that I visit Amazon Lily and that I have met you and the Empress.”

“I promise I won’t tell” Amaryllis laughed, touched by Law’s concern to protect her identity. “But it’s alright if you want to tell him about me. If you trust him then I would too”

They talked a bit more then finally said their good nights when Kid came looking for Law. Amaryllis felt fatigue come over her body and just fell into dreamless sleep.

* * *

The sounds of grunting and metal clinking from the outside woke her up. Amaryllis slightly opened the window and could still crickets chirping and the sun was not yet up in the horizon. Who would still be awake in this late hour?

However, she did not wonder further as she felt thirsty so she decided to go to the kitchen to get some water. Slowly she stood up and held on to the walls as she carefully threaded her way so she wont bump into anything. Upon reaching the kitchen, she searched for the pail of spring water and gently scooped with a ladle to drink.  
She felt a gentle breeze touch her face, she followed its source so she could close the windows but instead it lead her to a door which was slightly open. Curious, she went out but she heard no sign of anyone’s presence outside.

“A snake now would help” she sighed at her handicap, but then she heard the sound of metal clinking again. It was from a fair distance from her, probably from the beach. She thought that maybe Kid is starting early on the boat. Amaryllis waved her hands around for the guide rope then headed towards the docks.The clinking of metal and the crashing of waves grew louder as she walked the stone trail. The clinking suddenly stopped and she heard the metal objects drop on the sand.

Zoro’s voice almost startled her, “Why are you still awake?”

“I should ask the same to you, what time is it?” Amaryllis asked as she struggle to come down the steps, but she felt strong hands on her hips and lifted her to the sand.

“Probably a few hours before sunrise but it’s still dark out. Shouldn’t you be resting more?”

She shrugged, “I just woke up for a drink then I heard you. What were you doing? What are those metal things?”

“Those are weights, I was just training for a bit”

“Mind if I stay?”

“I don’t mind but I’m just about done”

“Oh, then let’s go back in”

But Zoro stopped her and suggested, “If you want, we could walk around”

She nodded then felt Zoro’s hand on her arm and guided her near the water.

The refreshing sound of the waves and the smell of the sea breeze never failed to calm her. She removed her sandals and waddled by the water while Zoro walked a few steps behind, watching her. He said nothing but she didn’t mind at all, it was a very comfortable silence.

She heard Zoro’s footsteps stop after a while and broke the silence, “The boat is almost finished. We may set sail in a few days”

“That’s good news, we’ll be able to get home” Amaryllis said and sat down on the sand, she heard him sit down beside her, “The weather has been calm lately. It might be a good idea to set sail before the storms come again”

“I have something to ask you” He said in a serious which made her heart race nervously. Had he discovered that she wasn't human?

“You’ve been acting really strange recently” Zoro continued and Amaryllis closed her eyes and screamed internally, I KNEW IT. And prayed she doesn’t have to fight him

“Uhm, what do you mean strange?” She tried to even out her voice not to sound obvious. The most frightening part is she doesn’t know what kind of face he’s making.

“It’s the thing with the snake, Kid told me that they weren’t friendly to humans and yet you were able to hold it comfortably. There was also the deer, in the island where we were stranded, a blind woman could not have hunted it alone. And when you were unconscious earlier, I saw your burned hands heal on its own like and disappear like nothing”

Amaryllis took a deep breath as her hands were shaking. In her mind, she already preparing an enchantment to protect herself. He knew all along.

“Now tell me” His voice was nowhere from polite. It sounded dangerous, there’s no way she could hide it any longer once he finds out. In the back of her mind, she was thinking of what to do once he decides to behead her.

“Are you a Halfling like me?”

“I beg your pardon?” She blinked at him and was clearly taken aback by his question. She was pretty sure he was supposed to ask something else

His voice switched back to his usual carefree tone, “Well, It wasn’t really a big deal or anything but I feel really excited whenever I see someone like me”

“I—uhm—thought that you’re going to say that I’m a monster” Amaryllis felt like the air suddenly lightened and she let out a nervous chuckle.

“I’m a hunter, if you were then I would have known the moment I saw you.”

She felt relieved and happy at the same time. She was saved and reminded herself to thank the gods and his sword tomorrow. “To answer your question, I am a Halfling.” She confessed but quickly followed up a lie and tried to sound surprised, “I didn’t know you’re a Halfling”

“I don’t manifest it much as you do, aside from the healing capabilities like yours. I’m not gonna pry what your two halves are, you have saved my life and I’m in your debt, better have a little respect. And I promise I will return back for what you’ve done” Zoro said

“Nonsense” she replied, “You had helped me a lot, you’re even taking me home and I really enjoyed the company. It’s such a shame I don’t get to see your face.”

Zoro took her hand and placed it on his cheek, she was shocked by the gesture but did not take her hand from his warmth and touched his face instead.

“I’m not that handsome, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

She smirked, “Acting humble huh?—Oh, you don’t have any beard”

“What did you imagine I look like? An old man?”

“No, I pretty much know that you’re still a young brat”

Amaryllis moved her hand to his hair and softly ruffled it, “What color is it?”

“Green”

“Green?”

Zoro looked at her, the expression of wonder on her face made him smile. “Yeah, an acquaintance of mine told me that it’s like a moss”

“How about your eyes?” she asked

“It’s not a special color, it’s just black”

“Hmm, I think what’s reflected in your eyes is more important than the color don’t you think? I wasn’t blind all my life, I was able to see freely before and for me the eyes are the most beautiful.”

Zoro hesitated to ask her what happened but he did so anyway and she seemed to look at him with a sad smile on her face.

“I was cursed when I was young, a punishment from the gods because I was the product of a union they did not approve of so they took away my sight.”

“Did you try to break it?”

“We tried but everyone we went to didn’t know how to break it. My sisters, they brought me to witches, iatromantis and even divine virgins but no can break the curse.

“By sisters, you mean the siren and sea witch from before?”

“Nami and Robin? No, they’re my friends but they were kind enough to help me as well so I didn’t think much of it as a bad thing.”

Zoro was surprised, she was very optimistic about her loss of sight nor did she harbor any hatred to those who cursed her. She was very different. “You seem alright about it”  
She chuckled, “I was a young child when it happened. I had grown to get used to it and there were people who helped. It feels a little empty sometimes but what can I do?”

The hunter began to feel a little guilty, “I’m sorry I had to take you away from your friends”

“I said its fine, I should be thanking you. I have dreamed of it for a long time now, to leave my home and explore. You see, my sisters had been very strict because of my eyes but I was able to persuade them to let me go. ” Amaryllis grinned

“You intend to travel? Where would you go?” His raised his brow

She sounded giddy and excited, “You sound like you don’t believe me. They gave me a month of freedom and I want to go wherever the sea takes me. Just so you know, being blind will not stop me”

“I know” Zoro smiled and thought that she is one hell of a woman. “Then that means I already wasted a more than a week of your precious freedom?”

He found it adorable when her purple eyes widened and flailed her hands around, “Oh no please don’t think of that, I’m having so much fun. I also got to meet Law who hasn’t visited our—uhm—village for a while”

“That’s good but wouldn’t your friends be worried?”

“Nami would be, by I think Robin would know I’m in good hands”

“I’m honored that you put your trust in me”

“Let’s say it’s just my intuition” Amaryllis showed him that childish grin again. “How about you? where are you headed?”

“I am going to find Amazon Lily” The gorgon did not feel comfortable when he said the name of her home but she let it be, if she was going to do something about the hunter then she should get to know him more.

It was then that Zoro began to tell stories about his past, “I grew up in an orphanage, in a small village in the East Blue. It was a peaceful village and the people were kind, despite without parents or family members, they treated us as their own. But 15 years ago, the War destroyed my home. The gorgons had come to our village, together with their armies of lamias and wrecked our village. Its inhabitants were either turned to stone or stabbed to death”

Amaryllis could hear the pain and anger in his voice, “I was the only one spared, helped by the villagers who gave me a sword and I was barely surviving when a king found me and brought me to his kingdom. There I found my mentor who taught me to become a hunter. I made a promise from that day on that I will find those who had slaughtered my family and bring justice to what they’ve done”

She could not say anything, she knew from the start that they were on the bad side of the war, they had destroyed homes and spilled blood. Amaryllis felt tears flow down her face.

Zoro sounded like he didn’t expect her reaction, “Why are you crying?”

She gave him a sad smile then wiped the tears with her night dress, “I don’t know. It just came falling on its own. I’m very sorry for what happened to your village”

“Don’t cry” He coaxed, “They were kind people, I’m pretty sure they’re in paradise now”

Amaryllis didn’t know what to say. To be honest, she thought of hunters as greedy persons who hunt monsters for merely money but hearing Zoro’s story made her think otherwise. But her sisters are not merciful to those who want to harm them, he will definitely get killed. Their silence was replaced by the sound of the waves. However after a while, he asked, “Would you like to sail with me?”

“Hmm?” His question snapped her of her reverie

“I am still far off from my goal and I have to travel to different islands to search for anything that will lead me there. If you’d like, you can sail with me and travel like you wanted”  
She felt a little warmth in her heart but at the same time there was a voice inside her head that told her to decline, telling her that it isn’t safe and she should get away from him as much as possible but Amaryllis wanted to go with him and know more about him.

As the sea breeze calmed her down, how could she not notice? These small feelings growing in her chest day by day. She told Law that she’s just staying so she may be able to stop Zoro from killing her sisters but she was conceited, it was just a reason for an ulterior motive. The truth is she just wanted to stay longer by his side.

“I’d love to”

* * *

They walked back together towards the cabin but Zoro went to get something from Marimo and asked her to wait for him. He was nervous as he held the package wrapped in paper, he just hoped she would like it.

“Did you get what you needed?” She asked apparently hearing his footsteps approach her.

“Ah—Yeah. I got something for you” he said and kinda pushed the package in her hands.

“What’s this?”

“I got you some clothes when we went to the market.”

She was surprised, “Oh, you didn’t have to do it. I have nothing to repay you, I left my things in Jinbe’s island.”

“No, it’s on me. Part of my payment for dragging you in this mess”

“I told you that you don’t have to” She protested, “If you can wait for a few days, I will pay you when I’m able to sell my jewelry”

Zoro raised his brow and began to walk away. She stood still, looking irritated, “Did you just walk away from me?”

Zoro let out a chuckle, “Now that’s a face I don’t see every day. Keep it, it’s better than wearing Law’s hot clothes. And you don’t have to sell your jewelries, I will take care of everything for the rest of the journey until you get home.”

Amaryllis began to protest again but Zoro quickly said, “If you’re not going to take it then I’m going to leave you here” and walked further from her

“You’re insufferable! I can get back to the cabin on my own”

“I doubt, you’re too far from the guide ropes”

“You are a very sly person. If I had my cane I would be able to find it” Amaryllis huffed, and began to walk towards a random direction. Zoro watched in amusment as she was actually walking away from the guide rope so he grabbed her arm before she goes straight into the water.

“Wrong direction” He said and he guided her back into the forest path.

“How can you know if a person is monster?” Amaryllis asked

“Hunters are trained for it, sometimes it’s just intuition. But Enma, one of my three swords, was imbued with an enchantment that lets me distinguish between the two. It heats up when I am near a monster.”

“How convenient”

When they arrived at the cabin, Zoro guided her to her room, “It’s still a little early, you should get some more sleep”

“Alright. Thank you for the clothes. Have a good night”

“Good night” The hunter went back down stairs and settled on the couch. He could not help but think if it was the right decision to ask her to sail with him. He might put her in danger but seeing those eyes sparkle with excitement as she talk about being free, his mouth spoke faster before his head could comprehend. Zoro let out a sigh, it will work out somehow.


	9. Dressrosa

“I didn’t think he would actually get the right size.” Law was helping her pack her things as they were about to set sail.

The gorgon chuckled and smoothed out the fabric of her dress Zoro gave her. It had two straps that hung the dress on her shoulders and was made of thin linen that reached just above her ankles which is ideal for hot weather.

“It feels nice. Does the color suit me?”

“It looks great, Mister hunter made a good choice” She heard Bepo say.

“It is a nice shade of blue.” Law agreed, “Princess, are you really sure about this? Your sisters won’t be happy if they’ll learn about this”

“They won’t, but you don’t have to worry” Amaryllis reassured and Law let out a sigh

“If that is what you want” He handed her the knapsack he prepared for her. “I bought the items and clothes you requested, and I also put in a bag of drachma for you to use. And here,” In her hands, Law placed a wooded cane which he crafted. “I enchanted it with a protection spell, you can use it when you’re in danger”

“Thank you Law. I will surely repay you”

“No need, just as long as you stay safe. I hope you know what you are doing Princess”

“I hope so too” Amaryllis smiled then put a blue ribbon to cover her eyes. They headed down to the docks where Kid and Zoro are loading their supply and doing final checks on Marimo.

“You better take care of it, I will beat you up when it comes back to me wrecked and take care of Amaryllis”

“I know. No need to remind me” Zoro frowned and began to remove the rope from the dock.

They were saying their goodbyes when Kid approached Amaryllis, “Please take care of my friend and you can punch him when he becomes careless again” he said

Amaryllis laughed, “I will. Thank you very much for helping us”

“It’s nothing, Your Highness, It was my job.”

The gorgon was taken aback by what he said, “Law told you?”

“Well, Law and I don’t keep much secrets from each other. Law has probably told you about Zoro’s past and we don’t want him to get in more trouble. The first time I heard about you from Law, I wanted Zoro to get away from you for his safety but now I feel like, you are just what he needed. Law doesn’t misjudge people. Unlike your sisters, you are kind to humans. We know we can trust you.”

“What do you mean by I am just what he needed?”

“I’ll leave that to you two. You’ll have a long voyage ahead, you’ll know soon enough” Kid teased. “It was an honor meeting you, Princess and I promise to keep your identity a secret”

“Are you done yet?!” They heard Zoro shout from the boat, Amaryllis said her goodbyes and the hunter helped her get in the boat then raised the anchor. In a moment, they were out into the sea, the sun was shining brightly and the winds were in their favor. Satisfied that the boat’s direction was in line with the log pose, Zoro smiled triumphantly, he was sure that they’re not getting lost this time around.

“Please check your log pose again later, we might go in the wrong direction like before” Amaryllis reminded him which destroyed his confidence from earlier.

“We won’t, have a little trust on me”

“The last time I did that, we were caught in a storm and stranded”

Zoro merely grunted and stared at Amaryllis from the helm. She was wearing the dress she gave him and was wearing the matching ribbon that covered her eyes. He was quite disappointed, he liked seeing her eyes but she said she preferred to cover it because she don’t want people staring at her eyes. He shifted his attention back into the sea, trying to keep on route as much as possible. He promised Amaryllis that he would take her on an adventure and that he would. Zoro prayed that his bad sense of direction won’t lead them astray again.

“You’re not going to ask where we’re headed?” He asked

“I’ll leave that up to you” She smiled.

Zoro sighed, she was unusually carefree and does not even care that she’s sailing with a man who she just met two weeks ago. He found it really amusing. In order not to disappoint the lady, he’ll have to do his best to entertain her.

For three whole days, they spent their time jumping from one island to another. They stopped over in a small fishman village then headed to a human-inhabited island where Zoro was hired to stop a rampaging minotaur for them to have more drachma for their journey.

“You know, one of my sisters suggested that I get laid with a minotaur.” Amaryllis said as they walked back to the town to collect their drachma

“You aren’t kidding right?” Zoro asked

“I kid you not” She answered

“Some sisters you’ve got”

“Well, they are a bit—different”

Minotaurs are often the size of an average bull that walk up right. They are capable of speech, they are rarely hostile and could live amongst humans. However the minotaur they encountered was enraged because a human child had destroyed some plants in his farm. At first Zoro was thinking that he had to kill it but Amaryllis, for some reason, had managed to calm him down and make it fall asleep.

“I do not like killing unless it’s really needed” She spoke as if she had killed someone before. Zoro found it unusual but simply dismissed it and thought that there might be nothing to it

“Where did you learn to cast magic like that?” He asked instead

“I—uhm–What magic?” She pretended to know nothing

“You do know that your face turns as red as a tomato when you lie right?. I was watching you earlier”

Amaryllis sighed in defeat and hurriedly thought of a possible alibi, “Somebody taught me to use magic” It was the truth, her sisters had taught her

“but it’s just simple spells” which is obviously a lie, she cringed when she remembered the island she blown up. She prayed that he will believe her and not delve on it, but he just hummed in reply.

They had dinner in a good restaurant where Zoro insisted to pay everything she orders despite telling him that she got money from Law.

“I told you, you don’t have to pay for anything” Zoro insisted and ordered a lot of food and booze. Amaryllis could smell the liquor from across the table.

“Are you even old enough to drink?” she asked and munched on a piece of roasted beef

“I’m already past puberty.”

“But you still sound like a brat” Amaryllis said and took another bite  
“Ohoh—It seems your polite speaking has changed into an insulting tongue” Zoro smirked

She immediately placed her hand on her mouth. Indeed, her speech has changed into how she would converse with close friends and loved ones. She didn’t think that it would show so soon.

“It’s alright, I don’t mind. I think this just means that you’re already comfortable around me” He said

That night they stayed in an inn, Zoro chose to get two small single rooms for each of them but they’re on different floors so he opted to take a bigger room with two beds.

“You know, I’m fine with just the single room” Amaryllis said, bothered that he had to pay more compared if they took the single rooms

“I wont be able to reach you in time if anything happens to you” Zoro explained and opened the room that was given to them. “And besides, Law told me to keep an eye on you”

Amaryllis frowned and pointed her blindfolded eyes, “It’s not like I’m going anywhere”

When she entered the room, she roamed around and touched everything with her cane so she has a general preview of the room. She heard Zoro putting down his things, “Do you want me to put guide ropes?”

“No need, I could manage this much. Is this the bath room?” She asked as she entered another entryway

“Yeah, go ahead and take a bath first”

“Alright” Amaryllis took her knapsack and headed to the bathroom and did the same with the room before. She first checked the location of the toilet, sink and bath tub. Back at home, it was much easier as there were snakes that would tell her where to go. After making sure she scanned everything, she turned on the faucet and filled the tub with hot water. She sighed as she sunk into the water, easing the tired muscles she had from walking around. But it was satisfying, what would her sisters say if they found out what she’s up to now? The thought made her smile.

The room was eerily quiet when she went out the room, “Zoro? It’s your turn.”

There was not reply but she heard soft snores at one of the beds, “Zoro? I filled the tub with hot water. You should go take a bath before it gets cold”

She swung her cane around until she found his bed, “Zoro?, she poked him with her cane, “The water is getting cold”

There was still no response, and she poked him again. This time he responded, “Kuina”

Amaryllis stood there and raised her brow, “Did you say something? I did not catch what you said. Are you sleep talking?”

She kept on poking him, she didn’t want the water to go to waste.

“How long are you going to poke me?” His sleepy voice yawned

“If you were awake, then you could have responded”

“If you are going to poke me, next time check where you are poking”

“What?”

“You’re poking at my crotch” Zoro said in an amused voice and Amaryllis blushed with embarrassment

“How am I supposed to know??” She turned away and went to find her bed.

“I’m just kidding” He said before he entered the bathroom, “You were poking at stomach”. He immediately closed the door laughing when Amaryllis was about to throw her cane at him.

The next morning, they travelled at dawn to the next island for Zoro’s next job. This time he left her at the boat and said that he’ll be back in shortly. Amaryllis decided to send messages to her sisters and to Law, she went to the railings of the boat and called for two sea snakes. The snakes came heeding her call and slithered onto the deck then she used a spell to let the snakes remember what she’s going to say and relay it. She just assured them that she was doing fine then she let them go into the ocean.

She spent the next two hours waiting for Zoro, and was getting bored minute by minute. Amaryllis tried to busy herself by asking the other sea snakes if there were lamias in danger, thankfully there were none but it still didn’t solve her problem. Zoro specifically told her to stay in the boat but she had nothing better to do so she decided to waddle about in the beach.

With the help of the sea snakes, Amaryllis was able to get down from the boat and lifted her skirts up then played with the waves. While she was playing, she did not notice that Zoro was watching at her with a smile on his face, carrying some supplies in his arms. He let her play around and said nothing but eventually Amaryllis noticed that the sea snakes had gone back into the water and felt a presence watching her. “Zoro?” she asked

She was relieved when she heard Zoro’s voice, “Didn’t I tell you to stay in the boat?

“I had nothing else to do” Amaryllis said and walked out of the water. Zoro lifted her from the sand onto Marimo’s deck.

“You’ll have many things to do in our next destination. We’ll have to set sail now so we can be there before sundown”

* * *

Just as he said, they arrived in a bustling island a few hours before sunset as the winds were kind enough to aid their voyage.

“Where are we?” Amaryllis asked when she heard yells from the busy port. Zoro was busy steering to properly dock the boat.

“Welcome to Dressrosa”

Amaryllis had heard Dressrosa from her sisters before, they said it’s an island ruled by an eccentric king. Other than that she felt excited that she was able to visit a new island. Zoro took their bags and helped her down into the dock, “We’re just in time for their festival so there’s a lot of people. King Doflamingo gives the most ridiculous festivals but they’re enjoyable”

He put his hand on her arm and they walk through the streets of the city. There were indeed a lot of people and she was bumping into them. Amaryllis felt an arm move around her shoulder and held her close. “Careful, I don’t want you to get lost” Zoro said and was focused in finding an inn, he did not notice the small blush on the gorgon’s cheeks.

Luckily they were able to find a good inn despite the huge number of visitors that came into the island. Zoro again got a big room with two beds as there weren’t any available rooms. He could feel Amaryllis’ excitement and as soon as they left their things in the inn, they went into the busy streets.

“What kind of festival is this?” She asked

“It’s a flower festival. This island is known for its flower gardens that bloom in this time of the year. Just to help you imagine, the whole city center and even the streets are filled with flowers”

She nodded, “They really smell divine. So where are we going??”

“Would you like to visit the palace gardens?”

“Let’s go then” she said almost pulling

“Hold your horses” Zoro chuckled, “Don’t act like you know where you’re going”

“Have you been here before?”

“A few times with my mentor and a close friend of mine but we didn’t roam around like what we’re doing now. We were just here for a job so it’s my first time to see the gardens as well”

The garden was a large maze in front of the royal palace, it was filled with flowers, ornaments and statues that came from all over the world. As always King Doflamingo was a collector of rare items. There were a lot visitors that afternoon but t.ey were able to enter the maze. Zoro was worried at first as usually a garden would mostly be appreciated by the eyes but it looked like Amaryllis was enjoying herself.

“Can I smell the flowers?”

“What color are they?”

“Ohhh, what’s this? it feels soft.”

The hunter was amused as he answered her questions. There were also some visitors who had noticed her disability and were kind enough to explain some of the flowers to her. At the corner of his eye, he saw a flower similar to a shape of a star. For some reason when he looked at it Amaryllis’ name would pop up, it was intensely red with shades of white at the tips of its petals. He didn’t know what it was so he asked a woman who was appreciating the said flower beside him.

“By any chance, are these amaryllises?”

The woman turned to him and smile, “You sure do know about flowers. Yes, these are called amaryllis. Beautiful aren’t they?”

Zoro had remembered from Perona that flowers had meanings. Curious enough, he decided to ask what amaryllis meant.

“They mean beauty and splendor as well as pride. The story of this flower is quite sad” The woman replied

“Oh?”

“They said there was a nymph named Amaryllis who fell in love with a gardener. To confess his love for him, she pierced her heart with a golden arrow for a month. They say this is the reason why its flowers are red because it is painted with blood. However despite her efforts, the gardener was unimpressed and did not accept it. The nymph was left heart broken and in the end the flowers also meant an unrequited love.”

Zoro thanked the woman and turned to his companion who was talking to an old man with some hibiscus flowers.

“Amaryllis, I found your flowers”

“Oh that’s my name” She excused herself from the old man and Zoro arm pulled her towards the amaryllises.

“What does it look like?” Amaryllis asked and he described it and told her about the story.

“That does sound sad. My mother, told me that story from when I was a child but I vaguely remember it anymore” she said then asked Zoro, “How’d you know they were amaryllises?”

“Just a wild guess”

It was almost sunset when they left the garden as Zoro got lost and they had gone in circles before they found the exit. They headed back into the streets to roam around the market and shops.

“Why don’t you find a new sword?” Amaryllis suggested, “There must be a good blacksmith around”  
“I plan to get a new one in the kingdom of Moby Dick. It’s the next island we’re headed to.” Zoro answered, he sounded kind of sad

“Was it important sword?”

“It was the sword given to me by a villager when she helped me fled from the attack. I have never replaced it since”

“What does it look like?”

“It’s a white-hilted sword with a circular guard. Its sheath was painted as white as snow, well-crafted with a sharp edge. It the only sword that has been with me for a long time”

“I’m sorry that it got lost during the storm”

“It was not your fault, it’s because of my own negligence. It must resting by the sea bed right now” Changing the topic, “Are you hungry? There’s a place I want to take you to”

Amaryllis nodded and as always Zoro took her arm and guided her. There were a lot of people in the streets and Amaryllis had bumped into a lot of people already, she kept mumbling sorry as they walked through the crowd. This time around, someone suddenly lifted her off her feet.

“Wha—“

“Don’t move around so much, I’m going to carry so they don’t bump into you.” He said and muttered more about some people who are not considerate. Amaryllis face was heating up, people are probably staring at them as he was carrying her like how a man would carry his wife.

He let her down after a while, “Here we are”

“Where are we?” Amaryllis asked as she straightened her skirts

“We’re in my friend’s restaurant call the Baratie. The food here is good”

There was a server who welcomed them and immediately recognized Zoro. He got them a private seat on the veranda of the restaurant.

“I always go here when I dock. It’s a nice place except that one server here is particularly rude”

“Who are you calling rude you damn seaweed?” Amaryllis heard a man’s voice near their table, he smelled of cigarettes and a nice perfume.

“I did not say any names, it was you who reacted”

“I saw Marimo by the docks this afternoon. I thought you had gotten lost again since it took you this long to find me”

“Go straighten your damn curly eye brows”

The two continued to bicker until the man took notice of Amaryllis

“Please pay no heed on this lump of algae my lady.” The man said and took one of her hands, “I suggest you leave him and I can be a more entertaining companion than him”

“Oh no can do, I am actually travelling with him. I can’t leave him”

“You bastard, how did you even capture this beautiful lady? You kidnapped her?”

“Shut up Sanji, she is what she said. She saved my life after a shipwreck, I owe her by taking her home. Now get our orders, we’re starving”

The man named Sanji cleared his throat, “Well then, please forgive seaweed head’s rudeness. Should I interest you with some of our specialties my lady?”  
Sanji was very accommodating and patiently explained to her their specialties in the end, she chose to have scallops with lemon and butter while Zoro opted for steak.

“Carnivorous barbarian as always.” Sanji muttered then asked Amaryllis, “Would you like the scallops be removed from the shells? And cut it to smaller pieces?”

“Oh, that’s very considerate of you, yes please” She was pleased as Sanji was kind enough to help her with her handicap.

“We try to adjust the need of our customers so you will be able to have the best experience”

Sanji left with their orders and soon after another server provided their drinks. Zoro had some red wine and Amaryllis had a fruit juice.

“How have you known Sanji?” she asked

“We both met at the Kingdom of Moby when we were young. After I was taken in by my mentor I never saw him again until we went here in Dressrosa. I came to learn that he was also taken in by a foster parent who owns this place”

“He sounds nice”

“Don’t fall for that womanizer.” Zoro grunted, “He’s a pervert”

“He sounds like he looks attractive. Is he human? What does he look like?”

“Like a bastard” Amaryllis frowned at his answer

“That’s not a nice thing to say.” Then she heard Zoro sigh, “He is tall, blonde, black eyes, curly eyebrows and is a cyclops. He just uses magic to create the illusion that he has two eyes. He smokes a lot but cooks good food. Is that enough??”

“Yes, that’s enough. Was he the one who named Marimo?” She inferred since Sanji mentioned the name of Zoro’s ship

“Yes”

Amaryllis smiled, it was nice to know more about Zoro, about the people he interacted with. He seems to value each one of them. They spent the rest of the dinner talking more about Dressrosa, After some time, Sanji came to serve their desserts and sat down with them to chat, the two would often fight but nonetheless, it was a very pleasant dinner.

They were about to leave when Amaryllis heard a familiar voice mention her name

“Amaryllis is that you?”

“Nami?” She turned towards the direction of the voice, then came a tight hug

“Oh thank the gods! I can’t believe we’re going to find you here. I’m glad you’re safe. Where have you been all this time??”

“Everywhere?” Amaryllis laughed, “Where’s Robin?”

“She went to get a table. Come sit with us!”

She turned back to their table to ask Zoro but he was already standing behind her.

“It’s alright, I’ll go check on Marimo. I’ll be back to come pick you up”

“Hey Amaryllis, isn’t this the man we saw at the bar?” Nami interjected

“Oh, right. Nami this is Zoro, Zoro this is Nami. He has been kind enough to let me travel with him”

“Thank you for looking out for her. I guess we already saw each other at Jinbe’s bar before. The woman on the table over there is Robin” Nami pointed at her companion. The two were in their human forms that night, blending in with the humans. Zoro glanced at the table she was pointing at and saw the black haired woman looking at them, they both nodded in acknowledgment.

“I’ll be heading out then, if you’re going to order anything, just tell Sanji to put it on my tab, I’ll pay later”

Zoro then headed out and left the ladies to catch up. He first went to the docks to inspect Marimo for any mishaps from their journey and so far, Kid did a good job reinforcing the hull. With the spare time he had, he decided to look around for antique shops and libraries that could tell him more about Amazon Lily. The crowds had lessened a bit but the shops were still open and lively, he could kill time by roaming around.

* * *

“I didn’t know that Robin had seen this in her predictions. How long have you been here?”

“We arrived a week ago. Since the first day you disappeared. Robin had already predicted it and said you are going to be safe but I was worried sick” Nami said concerned, “Are you sure nothing happened to you?”

“You can stop worrying Nami, Amaryllis is safe and here with us” Robin said

“I cant help but worry! I mean Zoro is handsome, looks capable and all but were you treated alright? Did he do something to you?”

“Nami, please calm down. He is a good person. He did not do anything to me”

“Are you sure? I swear, I dream of your sisters coming for me almost every night”

“I think it would be better if I told you everything” Amaryllis chuckled. She explained everything to them, from the time they were chased by thugs to their arrival in Dressrosa, not leaving behind a single detail. After the story, Nami’s face had paled and Robin was laughing.

“This is not a thing to laugh about! Why are you travelling with a hunter that’s after your heads?” Nami scolded the two.

“He only knows that I’m a Halfling. And besides if I’m with him, I’ll be able to know of his plans and prevent him from finding my sisters.”

“That makes it more dangerous! He is Mihawk’s disciple, who knows what he would do to you when he finds out”

“What do you say Robin?” Amaryllis asked

“I haven’t seen any visions yet, but I think you’d be fine if you’re careful.”

“Why do you even bother sailing with him? I know both of you are Halflings but you’re more than a Halfling, you’re a princess”

Robin ignored Nami and asked Amaryllis, “What is he like?”

“He’s a very blunt person, he dislikes being called a seaweed or algae because of his hair. He often scares people with his attitude but he is very kind.” A small smile crept in Robin’s face as the gorgon continued to describe the hunter.

Moments later Sanji came with their orders and immediately complimented them, “I didn’t think that you three beautiful women are acquainted. It must be my lucky night.”  
He carefully placed down their food. “Here’s Miss Robin’s pork chops with fig and grape agrodolce and blueberry tea, For Miss Nami, roasted pumpkin, marjoram, and blue cheese frittata with a glass of white win. And for Miss Amaryllis, a cup of after-dinner black tea”

When he left, the trio began to chat again then Robin noticed something on Nami’s plate, “Looks like someone has a rose in her plate again tonight”

“What?” Amaryllis frowned in confusion.

Nami glanced at the rose and blushed, “He’s been doing it every single night when we eat here”

“Who has been putting a rose on you plate?” The gorgon frowned but grinned when she realized, “Sanji?”

The sea witch chuckled and jested, “Oh look she’s turning red”, Nami blushed even more.

“I wish I could see it. Please tell me more”

“Well, you see, the chef has taken a liking to blushing miss siren here and has been placing roses on her plate”

“It was clearly impractical, he could have placed oranges” Nami shoved a mouthful of her food

“He already did that two days ago, he even peeled it for you” Robin smiled, “You just don’t want to admit it but you like him too”

“No can do, I’m only attracted to wealthy men”

“He is wealthy, Zoro said that Sanji is the foster son of the owner of this fancy restaurant.”

“I also heard that eve the King of Dressrosa dines here.” Robin added then smirked when Nami could not rebut them

“Checkmate?” Amaryllis smirked with her friend

“Ughh, I’m getting some liquor right now. You two are going to drink with me”

* * *

By the time Zoro got back to the Baratie, it was almost closed. They were already cleaning up but when a server saw him, he pointed at the veranda. His brow was immediately raised when he saw Sanji and Nami yelling at each other while Robin and Amaryllis are sitting at one side peacefully drinking wine.

Zoro gave Robin a questioning look. “You came right in time. Just watch and wait” she said

“Is Zoro here?” Amaryllis asked but instead of Robin answering Zoro came up beside her, “How much did you drink?”

“I’m not drunk if that’s what you’re asking.” Amaryllis held up her glass and Zoro took it to drink.

“Mind telling me why both are them are drunk and at each other’s heads??”

“Shh, the show is just starting”

Apparently Nami was insisting that Sanji isn’t right for her.

“You’re a womanizer, don’t think I haven’t noticed you ogle at other women” Nami argued

“I don’t ogle. And I am not a I womanizer. I have never been a woman before” They heard Sanji hic

“Then why is it that everytime I look at you, you’re smiling sweetly to another woman? How many women had you put roses on their plates when I’m not around?”

“I only did that for you!” Sanji held Nami’s hands in his. “The first time I saw you walk in the door, I was mesmerized. I was love at first sight. So I began to put the flowers on your plate to get your attention, I have asked Miss Robin about the things you’d like so I put oranges as well. You might say it’s too fast but I’m really in love with you”

“Ughh, I feel disgusted” Zoro muttered and Amaryllis slapped a hand on his mouth. Sanji gave him an annoyed look.

“Believe me if I say I hadn’t mated with a woman before, I do not like playing with another person’s feelings. Nami, it’s only been a week since I’ve met you but will you be with me?”

Nami’s eyes were filled with tears and hugged him.

Zoro only rolled in eyes, “Alright let’s leave before they’re all over each other” He pulled Amaryllis up from her seat then walked towards the door.

“But I’m not finished spectating” She complained

“Believe me, what happens next isn’t something you should hear”

They hurriedly went to the front entrance and before he closed the door, he yelled, “Make sure your reach your damn room! Your old man won’t be happy seeing you naked as a jay bird on one of his tables!”

Amaryllis and Robin laughed when they heard Sanji’s muffled yells of reply that were probably just curses. Since they were sleeping in different inns, they decided to take Robin to hers’ first. Zoro is waiting at the corner of the street, giving them time to say their good byes.

“Thank you for tonight” Robin said, “You’re always welcome to come with us if you’d like”

“Thank you for the offer but I think I’d stick to Zoro”

“I see” The sea witch mused, “Then we’re going to part here momentarily. We’ll probably have to stay a few days until Nami settles with Sanji then head north for Moby Dick”

“She seems happy”

Robin sighed, “Well, she finally got what she’s looking for. And soon enough you’ll find yours too”

“What? Did you see something?”

“Just don’t keep those emotions bottled up. You’re adventure will have a nice twist in the future. You should go back now, Zoro is waiting for you, he’s looking like a criminal  
carrying around those swords. Just be careful on your journey”

“Alright, we’ll meet each other soon again” Amaryllis turned around to join Zoro but then she remembered something.

“Robin?”

“Yes?”

“Can you help me find something? There’s something I’ve lost in the middle of the ocean”

* * *

They began to walk back towards their inn. Zoro just kept quiet and slowly walked in front of her. Only their footsteps echoed in the walkway facing the ocean while the breeze from the sea made her shiver, she regretted not bringing her cloak. But suddenly she felt a piece of fabric hang on her shoulders.

“Sorry, I should have handed it instead” Zoro apologized when he saw her surprised face. “You should have taken your cloak with you when we went out”

Amaryllis said nothing but she didn’t know if the heat in her face is from the alcohol or from Zoro giving her his cloak

“Are you alright?” He asked

“Yes, just a little tipsy from the liquor. I am weak with spirits” She chuckled.

“Would you like me to carry you again?”

“Oh no thank you. Walking makes me shrug off the effects of liquor” Amaryllis then felt a large warm hand enclose hers.

“It’s better this way, so I can easily catch you when you fall” Zoro said in a frank voice and continued walking. Behind him, Amaryllis was in a turmoil of emotions that she didn’t know she was capable of feeling. If only she could see him, what kind of face is he making now? Her grip on Zoro’s hand tightened and a small smile graced her face.


	10. Past

They set sail the next morning with Robin, Nami and Sanji seeing them off. Sanji was kind enough to cook and pack for them a whole day’s worth of meals as the voyage to Moby Dick takes more than a day to get there. Amaryllis was sad to separate from her friends but Robin promised to that they'll meet again. She gave a tiny wave goodbye as the sailboat left the docks.

“What do you plan on doing when we get there?” Amaryllis asked, they were having lunch at the moment and munching on Sanji’s bacon salad sandwiches.

“I’ll probably go greet King Whitebeard first then get a new sword.”

“You’re quite close to the king”

“Hmm? Yeah, he did save my life 15 years ago. He considers all he had taken in his kingdom as his sons. You’ll have a lot to do in Moby Dick, the palace is very big, it will take you more than a day to explore and the kingdom itself is huge, it'll keep you busy”

Moby Dick was the capital of monsters ruled by a giant named King Edward Newgate, humans were usually banned unless with special consent. Haflings however were free to visit and lived in the island. It was a paradise and safe haven for monsters. She had visited the island when she was young and recalled that kingdom had 16 adopted princes. 

They spent the whole day telling stories and arguing whenever Zoro refuses to check the log pose, they played guessing games and Zoro taught her how to fish. Amaryllis hadn’t laughed that much in a long time. Her sheltered life back in Amazon Lily did not offer this kind of solace. Her sisters wanted her to be a good leader as they were despite being blind so she had a lot of teachers teaching her about magic, politics, territories and war. She had enjoyed learning, it was the only thing that entertained her but she really longed to have a carefree life like this. She felt like she didn’t want to go back home.

That night, Zoro decided not to sleep so they won’t go off course while Amaryllis sleeping down in the cabin. But after a few hours she woke up and could not sleep anymore so she headed up to the deck where Zoro was still wide awake and had just finished cleaning his swords.

“You want to go take a nap first?” She said finding her way towards him.

“No, I need to check the log pose from time to time so that we wont get lost”

“Just an hour wouldn’t hurt. If there are changes in the wind and the sea I’ll wake you up” Amaryllis persuaded and after thinking it over, Zoro nodded and fell asleep on the deck. When she was sure he’s asleep, she conjured a spell so she can watch over the boat’s course. The seas were gentle that night, rocking the boat as if coaxing them to sleep. But she didn’t fall for its lullaby, she kept watch like she promised Zoro who was now sleeping peacefully beside her. An hour had already past but she didn’t wake him up and let him sleep. A few moments later, Zoro began mumbling then he began turning around. Thinking that he was having nightmare, Amaryllis decided to wake him up. His clothes were damp from sweat and his mumbles turned into yelling.

“Zoro wake up!” Amaryllis was shaking him awake but he wouldn’t wake up and kept thrashing around. So she conjured a small lightning spell in her hand, maybe pain would wake him up but before her hand could touch his skin, he sat awake, screaming “Kuina!”

Zoro was panting and dripping from sweat. 

“It’s okay. It’s just a dream.” She felt relieved that he woke up. She stood up and headed to the cabin to get some water.

“Thanks” Zoro said as he chugged the contents of the cup.

“Should I get you more??” she asked and handed him a cloth for him to wipe off his sweat

But Zoro shook his head, “No, I—uhh.”

“What is it?”

“Can you stay with me? Even if just for a while?”

Amaryllis nodded and sat down beside him. She did not ask for any explanation, she just sat there and kept him company.

“I had a childhood playmate once, her name was Kuina” He began, his voice sounded tired. “Back then, her family runs dojo. Her father let me train there when I was done with my chores in the orphanage.”

He let out a soft laugh, “She was strong, only a year ahead of me but she always beat me during sparing. We made a promise back then, that we would become great swordsmen. Our village is a peaceful village, it coexists with monsters and we interact with them like they are one of us. Even Halfling like myself was regarded as family despite my origins. My parents were killed when I was a baby, my father is a human and my mother is a fury, they were murdered by my mother’s kind because it was seen as a taboo. Before she died, my mother hid me in a tree that was inhabited by nymphs. And it was the nymphs who had brought me to the orphanage.” 

The hunter let out a sigh then continued, “Even with the kind villagers, I still felt out of place, an outlander. As young as I was, I had never felt the love of a mother and a father. But with Kuina, she was my haven. It’s like I shared my heart with her. I could remember seeing her smile every day when I come to their dojo, it always felt like home”

Amaryllis felt his pain for every word he said, it sounded like he had to muster all of his strength to tell her his past. She leaned on his shoulder and continued to listen.

“During the war, the village had prepared for the attack. There were monsters who sided with us but when the gorgons came, it clearly wasn’t enough. I remembered that there were only three of them who came into the village with a handful of lamias but we had underestimated them. Within moments majority of the villagers were turned into stone. The others had taken us children beyond the fields to flee but they were too fast and caught up to us in no time. I remember holding Kuina’s hand while we fled crying as we heard screams from behind us.”

Zoro stared at his palms, “She was carrying both her mother and father’s swords and as the lamias close in on us, she gave me her mother’s white sword and pushed me into a river. My last memory of her was Kuina drawing out her father’s sword to fight. I wanted to swim back but the river’s current was strong and it led to a waterfall where I had lost consciousness.”

She felt her blind fold being removed and a warm hand wipe the tears on her cheeks. “I told you before, you don’t have to cry”

Amaryllis said nothing but held his hand on hers. 

“When I woke up, I was in a ship sailing to Moby Dick. There I was taken care of by King Newgate, he was a good man but my thirst for revenge never died down and asked him how to become a hunter. They tried, the other princes to discourage me from taking the path of a hunter but I was stubborn, I wanted to make up for Kuina’s death and the villagers who raised me. That’s how I came to meet Mihawk and a sea nymph named Perona who trained me to death until I became competent enough to find the gorgons”

“It’s not my place to say it but they wouldn’t have wanted you to avenge them, they would have wanted you to live a normal life than this” Amaryllis whispered

“I know” Zoro closed his eyes, “But I feel like I won’t find peace if I didn’t do it. I’ve gone far enough now, I can’t turn back”

The grip on his calloused hands tightened as if they’re fearing for him to disappear. Zoro took Amaryllis in his arms and kissed her forehead while she was being eaten from the inside by sadness, pain and most especially guilt.


	11. Warnings

Amaryllis woke up the next morning alone, it alarmed her that the bed felt different it was softer and had more pillows. She came to realize that she was not in the boat. Frowning, she got out of bed and wondered where she was, thankfully she was still wearing her clothes. She found her cane propped in a table and roamed around the room looking for clues. There were windows were big and made of glass, it was warm to the touch because of the sunlight.

Her attention was shifted when could hear a lot of people talking outside and the sound of the door opening.

“Oh you’re up, I was just about to wake you up” Zoro closed the door and went to her, “Are you alright?” he asked

“I was just wondering where we are”

“We’re in Moby Dick now. We arrived at dawn, you were fast asleep so I carried you here into the palace”

“We’re in the palace?”

“We’ll not quite, it’s sort of a cottage in the gardens behind the palace. It is where I stayed when I first came here. You better wash up, the king wants to see us during breakfast”

An hour later, they were walking in the palace corridors towards the dining room. Amaryllis was worried her purple dress was not formal enough to meet the king. She chose not to wear her blindfold ribbon at Zoro’s request. She crossed her fingers that no one would ever suspect her or identify her, her sisters had hidden her for so long, surely no one would know she’s a gorgon, even the king.

“Don’t worry, they’re really laid back people. No need to get stiff” Zoro jested and Amaryllis jabbed him on the side.

“I’m not stiff” but she’s about to take her words back when the doors opened and the previous noise from the room hushed. Then everyone came yelling, “Zorooooo!!!”

Laughter filled the room as Zoro greeted his acquaintances. Amaryllis merely stepped aside and let the princes say their greetings until a loud booming voice that could have come from a very large man that greeted Zoro as well, “Welcome back Zoro”

“Hello Pops. Thank you for having us”

“That is expected, Moby Dick will always be your home. Now won’t you introduce me to the beautiful young lady beside you?”

Amaryllis did not wait for Zoro and lifted her skirt to presented the king and his family a graceful bow, “Greetings Your Highness, My name is Amaryllis”

“Nice to meet you Amaryllis. I am Edward Newgate, I welcome you to my kingdom. Now both of you sit and have some breakfast”

The gorgon sat down beside Zoro and began to eat, her worries of her identity being revealed is put in the back of her mind. Little did she notice, that she was being observed by the king and the first prince.

The princes introduced themselves to her during breakfast, she could barely remember all of their names as there were 16 of them. They did mind when she said that she was blind but instead they asked more about her, how she would do things from day to day. As Zoro said, they do not feel like princes, it’s just like a normal noisy family.  
But when the king cleared his throat, they all went quiet and stood up to resume their duties. Zoro was about to be dragged by a prince named Vista to help him train the soldiers in the barracks but he hesitated and told them he would accompany Amaryllis.

“It’s alright, go ahead. I’ll just go back to the cottage” she said and Zoro eventually went with the prince.

Just she is about to leave, the king called her out. “Princess Boa Amaryllis”

The hairs on her arms stood up as she felt an overwhelming pressure filled the room. Instinctively, her gorgon side appeared automatically feeling that she was in danger, her eyes turned into a snake's as she turned around to face the king.

“Ahh, so it is you” The King Newgate laughed and the pressure was gone in a snap. “At first I had doubts if it was you but Marco here noticed you as well.”

“You’ve grown so big now, you were only a small child when your mother brought you here. I wouldn’t have recognized you if you didn’t show me your eyes. They’re just like hers’” The king continued to say, “Please come closer, I’d like to have a little chat.”

The feeling of intimidation was still running in her veins, so just to be safe she casted a spell around the room to see how many were there and where she could run in case they’d attack her. The king was sitting at the edge of a long table, she easily identified him as he was the biggest person in the room, towering its inhabitants, it was the first time she encountered a giant in her life. Next to the king, there was a person standing beside him. She approached them cautiously and sitting to a chair near the king.

“You know of me?” Amaryllis asked

“Of course. You and your mother, the previous Empress had stayed here for a few years, it was way before you had lost your sight. Well you’re probably too young to remember but Marco here has been your playmate”

Amaryllis tried to dig into her memories, she only had a vague recollection of her visit. An image of a blue eyed blonde boy filled her mind. King Newgate smiled when Amaryllis’ eyes brightened with remembrance.

“It seems you had not forgotten me” A calm and collected voice said and she heard footsteps approach her, “In case you’re still having remembering, my name is Marco. Nice to see you again Princess”

Amaryllis gave Marco a soft smile, “I remember you. We used to play around the palace gardens near the pond then you would sometimes turn into a small blue duck”

The entire room was then filled by the king’s boisterous laugh and Marco cleared his throat, “It was not a duck, it’s a phoenix.”

“I know, I was just describing how I remembered it”

“Now that’s it said and done, will you walk with me Amaryllis, we have a lot to talk about?” The large man stood up, the gorgon gingerly followed. She expected Marco to come with them but he left her alone with the king.

“It’s good that your sisters finally let you out finally let you out, seeing that you’re doing well despite your eyes. They had hidden you from the world for so long.”

The king sounded relaxed but stern at the same time “Zoro had told me all about you and your journey. At first I thought he had found himself a companion but when I saw you that didn’t seem to be the case. You already know of Zoro’s circumstances, his reason why he had become a hunter, am I right?”

“Yes”

The giant sighed and turned to her, “Then you’re aware that he’s hunting for your kind. But why are staying with him?”

Amaryllis stayed quiet, she could not give him an answer. She was confused.

“You’ve taken a liking to him, haven’t you?”

She inhaled sharply as his words hit home. “What?”

The king’s voice softened, “You were not tainted by your sisters’ hatred for humans. And it was your first time to be out in this world, I understand that he has piqued your interest. But your relationship will endanger both of you, for your people, it’s considered a taboo and for Zoro, it has always been his mission to seek justice for his village. For your sake and his, it’s not too late to leave child, you can use this time to turn back”

“Turn back?”

“The mating ritual is will be over in a few days but it’s better if you leave the soonest. The longer you stay together, the more it will endanger both of you in the future. Must I tell you, Zoro is a strong hunter, he might kill you once he discovers that you are a gorgon. And at the same time he might get killed as well”

“I don’t intend to hurt him” Amaryllis defended

“You won’t but your sisters will. They will do anything to protect you so you won’t head towards the path your mother went. They will not hesitate to kill Zoro, as his foster parent I will protect him even if I have to fight another kingdom but if it can be avoided then I shall.”

The king began walking again this time towards his quarters. But before he entered his office, he said, “Empress Hancock has sent word to inform her of your location if you ever arrive here. I haven’t told her yet but she’s going to find out sooner or later. Please think about this and I will try my best keep you hidden as long as I can. For old time’s sakes with your mother.”

A month had passed by too fast, her sisters are already looking for her to take her back. It pains her that what the king said was right, she has to leave. It only dawned on her now that she had begun a terrible problem, she is putting Zoro in danger.

* * *

Dejected, she went back to return to the cottage but for some reason she got lost. Her deep thinking had caused her wander around the wrong way. Amaryllis tried using a spell but the palace is just too huge. If only she could find someone to point her on the right direction or maybe wait for Zoro to find her.

“Are you lost?” Marco’s voice sent her a wave of relief and she chuckled, embarrassed with the state she was in, “I believe I am”

“Then allow me to take you back” He took her cane and placed her arm on his.

“Thank you, I was about to spend an eternity finding the right way.”

“The palace is quite big because of Pops wanted a wide space for his children, a lot of travelers had also gotten lost when visiting.” Marco confessed

While they were walking, there were a lot of servants bustling towards the prince one after the other.

“You seem busy, am I keeping you?” She asked

“No. It’s just about the preparations for tonight’s party”

“Party?”  
“Yes, it’s my engagement party”

“Oh I give my congratulations. May I know who the next queen is?”

“He’s the only prince of the kingdom of Raftel”

From what she knows, the Kingdom of Raftel is the home of Ifrits or known to human folk as demons. They generally marry their own kind but the two kingdoms are forming an alliance so they are trying to solidfy the treaty by the marriage of the crown princes despite of different races. Marriage of the same gender is not a unusual among monsters unlike humans as they have the ability to form female or male reproductive organs using magic so offsprings won’t be an issue.The offsprings will only manifest either parents’ species and chances of hybrids are very slim but Halfling are an exception, they break the laws of nature of monsters that’s why they’re usually treated as outcasts. Amaryllis was only lucky that she had manifested her gorgon side that’s why she was accepted by her people.

“You and Zoro have to come by the way. It’s Pop’s request”

“I have to decline Prince Marco, I’m afraid I don’t have the right clothes for such an event”

“You don’t have to worry, I will have servants bring you clothes that you can choose. I have to apologize, we didn’t predict your visit so you’ll have to choose on pre tailored dresses”

“You didn’t have to.”

“Please, I insist. It would be rude not to invite the princess of an allied kingdom”

“Alright” she eventually agreed, “Prince Marco, I have a question to ask of you”

“Let’s drop the honorifics, just call me Marco, and that is?”

“Oh then if you don’t mind, then just call me Amaryllis. I was just wondering why Zoro is sleeping in the cottage rather than inside palace”

She heard Marco chuckle, “It’s a heartwarming story really, Zoro grew up in a village surrounded by forests and farms. When he was brought here, they found him sleeping in the gardens after the first night, Zoro said that it felt more like home so Pops decided to build that cottage in the middle of the garden for him to sleep in.”

They eventually reached the cottage and Zoro was there waiting outside.

“Where were you guys?” he asked and there was something in his voice that Amaryllis cannot point out. Marco noticed it too but the prince smirked and held Amaryllis’ shoulders.

“We were just taking a walk” he mused then Zoro pulled her from him and took Amaryllis’ cane

“I think you’re already done here birdy”

“Alright then, I’d best be going then Amaryllis” There was a tone of coyness in Marco’s voice, “Please wait for the servants for your clothes and Zoro, you should go to Izou’s room to have your clothes fitted.”

“Yeah yeah, go and get married already”

Zoro turned to her when Marco left and asked, “What did you talk about?”

“Some things” she teased and all she heard was Zoro grumbling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know its Laugh Tale but I decided to make it Raftel to make it sound like a kingdom. 
> 
> How'd you like the story so far?


	12. Inevitable

“Miss, this dress really fits you” One servant said as she was fixing Amaryllis’ hair.

“Really?” she asked doubting, “Why does it feel like I’m not wearing anything?”

The servants only giggled at her remark, “The weather has been warm lately even at night. The fabric is really light weight is so you won’t feel hot during the party”

Her outfit is a white lace dress. The top was a white lace tube that only covered her breasts and her belly was laid bare. It was decorated with gold ornaments and its strap is a gold chain, encircling her shoulders. The skirt part is a made of long multiple layers of thin white lace and a short inner skirt made of opaque silk to hide her intimate parts. It was a first for her to wear such revealing clothing and wear pigment on her face.The servants opted to let her long hair down and decorated her hair with white hibiscus flowers. Amaryllis insisted on wearing a ribbon to cover her eyes but the servants sternly denied her request, they did not even allow her to take her cane so she’ll have to ask for someone to accompany her tonight.

Finished with her preparation, the servants happily sent her off.

“Oh gods, I feel naked” she muttered as she went out into the garden

“That’s not a nice thing to say out in the open” Zoro was waiting for her outside, “Ready to go?”

“Say that again, when you’re actually wearing the dress. Let’s get this over with” she groaned and linked her arm with his. “What are you wearing?”

“Something more comfortable than what you’re wearing”

“I feel jealous already. The servants did not let me carry my cane, they said it doesn’t match my outfit. So you’ll have to accompany me all night”

Zoro just gave a lazy reply and they walked towards the venue, it was in another garden behind the palace near the sea. Zoro described that there is a tall cloth over the garden like a tent, there were a lot of guests including a handful of humans.Amaryllis felt disappointed, Zoro did not say anything about her appearance, no compliments and no criticisms either. But her disappointment was replaced with anxiety for she decided that after the party, she will tell Zoro the truth. She does not know whether he’ll believe it or not, and it makes her worry. Amaryllis could only pray to the gods to give her strength.

As soon as they arrived, they went to greet King Whitebeard who was together with the King and Queen of Raftel, they bowed and quickly went to find Marco and his fiancé. When they found them, Marco complimented Amaryllis and kissed her hand, “I’m glad that there’s a dress that suited your taste. You look beautiful”

Amaryllis smiled, “Thank you.”

Zoro quickly interjected and pulled Amaryllis away from the prince, “Why don’t you introduce us to your future queen?”

Without further ado, Marco introduced the raven-haired man beside him, “This is Gol D. Ace, prince of Raftel. Ace, this is my foster brother Zoro and his friend Amaryllis”

They exchanged pleasantries and the engaged couple excused themselves to greet other guests.

“Want to get some food?” Zoro asked and she nodded so they headed to the buffet table, stuffed their plates and took a seat on one of the tables. Some of the Moby Dick’s princes came to their table to have a little chat. One particular prince offered Zoro some liquor which he happily accepted and began drinking with them, Amaryllis declined as she didn’t want to embarrass herself by getting drunk and she has to keep her wits when she’s about to tell Zoro.

Amaryllis sighed as Zoro was drinking away with other guests so decided to go to the washroom, luckily she was able to call a server’s attention to guide her. They walked across the tent to get to the palace but she accidentally bumped into somebody.

“Oh I’m terribly sorry, I was not paying attention to where I’m going”

The voice who spoke next made her shiver to the core. “It’s alright. Be careful next time young lady”. It as a voice that she hadn’t heard in a long time but it was something that was already carved in her mind, she made a small bow and quickly turned around, walking away with the servant.

How can Mihawk be here?

* * *

“Zorooo!” The hunter turned around when he heard a familiar voice call after him.

“Perona? What are you doing here?” Zoro asked the sea nymph who was his mentor’s assistant. She styled her pink hair into a smooth ponytail and wore a silk black dress for the occasion. “Where’s Mihawk?”

“Prince Marco invited us and Mihawk had some business with the king so we came. Oh there’s master” Zoro turned at where Perona was pointing at and saw a lean black haired man with a short beard and sideburns approach them, his strikingly yellow eyes looking at Zoro. He was wearing a plum colored dress shirt, black pants and boots.

“Long time no see” Zoro greeted his mentor, “It’s rare for you not to carry you big ass sword around”

“It’s a formal event, even I should dress properly. So, how is your search going?”

“Slow but I’m finding a lot of clues” The younger hunter proceeded to tell them of what he had found out and Mihawk was particularly interested in the hidden island.

“Hopefully, you haven’t wasted time getting lost in the sea” Perona teased him

“It’s the first time I’ve heard of it. Looks like you’re not just fooling around” His master said

“Heh, you know too well that I’m serious about this. Are you going to stay here for the night?”

“No, we’re going to leave once the party ends. We have a job in another island tomorrow” Perona said while Mihawk looked like he was looking for somebody.

“What? Somebody caught you eye?” Zoro asked but Mihawk simple shook his head, “No, I just thought I saw someone I met a long time ago”

* * *

After getting her wits together in the washroom, Amaryllis convinced herself that it might not be Mihawk or if it was him, he might not recognize her. It’s been many years since that incident, he might not remember her. She’ll just have to remember to keep calm if anything happens. The dance had begun when she got back to the tent and there were no other people in the table so she asked the servant, “Is my companion still in the table? The green-haired man?”

“No miss, he’s in the dancer floor with the princes” the servant said

“Is that so? Thank you very much for helping me, you can go now” Amaryllis said and the servant dismissed herself to do other tasks. The gorgon was left on the table all alone, toying with the wine glass as she listened to the music and people having fun dancing.

“Hello” Somebody touched her shoulder then sat beside her, “Are you not going to dance?”

“Prince Ace? I’m sorry, I was lost in thought. I’m afraid not, I am not much of a dancer”

“Ace is fine. I apologize, it must have been a rude question, it took me long to realize about your eyes”

“I don’t mind. How about you? Are you not going to dance?”

“I’m not fit to do rigorous dancing at the moment” he chuckled at the drunk and noisy people dancing rowdily in the middle of the tent then he took Amaryllis’ hand and placed it on his growing stomach.

“Ohh” Amaryllis realized what he is talking about, “Congratulations, when will the baby be born?”

“We’re expecting this fall” Happiness was evident in Ace’s voice

“Marco must have been ecstatic”

“He is, we’re supposed to get married when he becomes king but when he learned that I was pregnant, he wanted marry me right away.”

“I’m happy for you and Marco. May blessings shower upon you”

“Thank you very much” Ace beamed, “I know it’s kinda rude but I just have to ask. You’re not a human right? But you don’t feel like a monster either. I tried to ask Marco but he said to ask you myself”

“I’m a Halfling but—“ Amaryllis blinked her eyes once and showed Aces her yellow snake eyes and blinked again which turned back to her usual purple opaque ones. “Please do not say it out loud, I really would like to keep it a secret.”

“Wow, you do not look like one.” The prince was baffled, “but—why are you with Zoro?—Oh dear does Zoro know?”

Amaryllis shook her head and placed her finger on her lips.

“What exactly is your relationship with him?”

“You could say that we're friends, we just decided to travel together for almost a month because of some circumstances”

“Really? For a moment I thought he was your lover.”

She laughed at the notion, “He’s not but I do like him. They say, I’m just passing time with him, or at least that’s what the king was trying to say. To tell you the truth, this is the first time I have encountered these kinds of feelings”

“What do you feel when you’re with him?

“I feel happy and peaceful. I have this feeling that I want to stay by his side, hold his hand, cherish him and travel with him and when I felt these feelings for the first time, I had wished since then that he’d only look at me.”

“Hmm, If you were to ask me, with the way that you’re looking and acting with each other. It looks like you have already fallen in love with him”

Love was something that was not much discussed in Amazon Lily. She only heard of it for Robin and Nami and her sheltered life did not allow her to feel as such. And yet when Ace told her that she was in love, her heart began to swell in happiness.

Their attention was suddenly shifted when the musicians began to play a slow song.

“Ohh, I think I can dance to this” Ace laughed, “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find my drunk soon-to-be-husband. You’d better tell Zoro about it, I’m pretty sure he’ll be happy to hear about your feelings. I wish you all the luck” He stood up and went to find his fiancé. Amaryllis was on her own again.

She thought of Ace’s advice but maybe Ace was wrong, Zoro did not care much about her and probably just thought of her as an acquaintance. And there were more important things she’s supposed to confess to Zoro. Feeling a little bit under the weather, she decided to go back and turn in for the night. She felt sad about the dress and the servants who prepared her, it wasn’t that much appreciated. Amaryllis stood up and waited for another servant to pass by her table.

“Where are you going?” Zoro appeared beside her

His voice startled her, “I’m going back first.”

“Why are you going back already? It’s still early. Do you want me to take you back?”

“No, it’s alright, you can stay here and have fun with your family. I’ll ask a servant instead”

Zoro felt bad, he promised her that he would accompany her the whole night but he was carried away by his foster brothers. He was irritated with his own negligence.

“I’ll take you back”

Amaryllis was about to protest but Zoro was already holding her arm, leading her out the tent.

“Hey, slow down a bit. And your grip’s kinda hurts”

Zoro let go of her hand and apologized.

“You didn’t have to take me back if you didn’t want to” Amaryllis stood and crossed her arms, “You even sound like you’re angry”

“No, I’m not. I just got carried away and I forgot to keep you company. I’m holding my hand in front of you, let’s go back”

Amaryllis took his hand, “I don’t mind, they’re your family after all”

“The dress looks beautiful by the way” He said

“Oh? The dress only?” Amaryllis can’t help but smile, she was happy that he noticed her.

“Don’t push it”

They were walking very slowly, only the quiet garden surrounding them but she could hear her heart beating loudly. She wondered if this is the right time to tell him.

“I think I have fallen in love with you” Zoro spoke first, breaking their silence with a calm voice and left Amaryllis stunned. Did she hear it right?

“Can you please repeat that?” She said, her heart beating faster than before feeling like it’s about to explode.

“You’ve heard what I’ve said. I am not going to repeat it again”

Without knowing it, tears were brimming in her eyes. She remembered what King Newgate said, this is not meant to be. But how come when he said those words, she felt like it all didn’t matter at all. How Amaryllis wished to say the same words to him, but she cannot go against her sisters, Zoro will surely be harmed if this keeps up.

“But we’ve just met, we don’t know much about each other” Amaryllis said, her voice quivering, trying to hold her feelings back. It has to end tonight.

“Then I can just spend more time with you. I’m not in a hurry.” Zoro nonchalantly answered

“I’m blind”

“I don’t even think that’s a problem, it just gives me more reason to hold your hand”

“But I don’t love you” Tears fell as she lied and thought that the gods must be so cruel that they have to meet this way.

Zoro did not let go of her hand and said, “Then I’m going to make you fall in love me”

She wanted to punch Zoro, he’s not making it any easier for her and it looks like he has no intention of letting her go.

As they almost reached the cottage, a heavy presence enveloped the whole garden, it was overwhelming and very familiar. Amaryllis did not think twice who it was, they have already found her.

The gods are indeed cruel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are you enjoying the story so far?  
> I would be happy to hear from you through your comments and suggestions


	13. Set Free

Zoro had prepared his whole life for this moment. He had trained and endured and yet he still trembled under the presence of the one who killed his whole village years ago. It was different from what he and Kid felt a few weeks ago, it was stronger and heavier, thick enough to suffocate you. Kid was right, a gorgon will let you know when it’s there as fear was slowly creeping in his veins.

He came back to his sense when he felt someone squeeze his hands.

That’s right, he should get himself together and protect Amaryllis. But he didn’t bring his swords with him, he glanced at the cottage that was only a few feet away. They could make a run for it but he’ll have to know where the gorgon is first, she might be anywhere within the island but he could not shake the feeling that they’re being watched, snakes began hissing from all round.

“It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other sister” He heard a sultry voice say behind them. When he turned around, his whole being was filled with anger. There stood the a tall beautiful woman, wearing a slit-like dress, she wore no jewelry but a pair of golden snake earrings. At first glance, she is mesmerizing, like a goddess. But when you look at her glowing yellow eyes and black snakes slithering on her head, you would be petrified instead like how his village did 15 years ago.

Beside her is an unusually large woman, who had green snakes as her hair, hissing at him.

“We’ve have come to fetch you. I know it’s a little early but the cycle is almost over. It’s time to go home” She said

Who the hell is she talking to? Zoro stared at the women in front of them, he felt like if he turned away from her, it will be all over for them. The gorgon seems to be looking at Amaryllis at first but when her gaze turned to Zoro, it burned with hatred. Without any warning, a wave of lightning came crashing down on them, it was a strong and blew up the earth from where they were standing. He tried to pull Amaryllis towards him and jump away but his grip slipped and he was thrown over the bushes.

“Amaryllis!!” He yelled but his eyes widened when he saw Amaryllis standing beside the Empress, her back turned on him.

He did not have time to react as another lightning bolt was headed his way. Out of his confusion, he did not notice a black mamba jumping for his throat, he did not also notice the large gorgon come at him from behind. Mihawk was suddenly behind of him, his sword gleaming in the moonlight with the blood of the snake and pointing it at the large gorgon

“What are you doing Zoro?” He said, “This is not time to play”

Perona came to his side and gave him his swords, in addition to the two, there was a third one.

“I cant seem to find your third sword so I’ll lend you one” she said. Zoro imeediately stood up and unsheathed his two swords.

“What the hell is happening?” he muttered. This time Amaryllis was facing him with a sad smile on her face, her irises were yellow with a black slit-like pupils like a snake's.

Hancock spoke, “Amaryllis, you have a lot to explain. I want to know why you’re together with this hunter but first, I’ll just remove these pests”

Five lamias suddenly appeared in front the hunters and attacked them. They were skilled and agile, pouncing at them all at once. The green haired gorgon joined the fray and headed straight to Mihawk, almost beheading him. While they were distracted, they did not notice the teleportation spell being casted and it was too late when they saw it. The two gorgons and Amaryllis were already gone and at the same time, the lamias disappeared as well.

Zoro was stood still, trying to take in what had just happened.

“That woman you call Amaryllis is a gorgon” Mihawk sheathed his sword and gave a strong pat on Zoro’s shoulder. “I should have known when I saw here from the party earlier”

“But Enma did not react to her” He said, still in denial of the situation

“Has she ever told you her last name?” his mentor asked and Zoro shook his head.

“Her real name is Boa Amaryllis, she is the fourth gorgon princess. She’s a Halfling that had purely manifested to be a gorgon and suppressed her human side. I had my doubts when I saw her long before the war but now, I’m convinced”

“The fourth princess? How come I’ve never heard of her?”

“The Empress had kept her identity hidden for many years, only a few people know of her existence.”

Zoro thought of the unusual things he had observed from Amaryllis, it suddenly all makes sense. He is filled with the feeling of betrayal, a lot of questions in his mind. His heart ached as he learned to know that Amaryllis was one of those who have destroyed his village. He was angry, how could he not notice? Why did he not kill the gorgons while there was an opportunity? Why did he let them slip away?

“Perona, you casted a tracking spell right?” Zoro asked angrily

“Yes, I have attached it to one of the lamias.”

“Where are they now?”  
“They’re still in the Grand Line. They couldn’t have gotten far with that many to teleport. Hey you should calm down first”

“Teleport me to them”

Mihawk intervened, “Zoro, I don’t think it’s right for you to fight them with your feelings out of control”

“No, I won’t let this pass” Zoro hardheadedly decided.

“But I can’t teleport all of us at the same time. It will take me hours to recover magic before I could teleport someone again!”

“Then I’ll go alone”

“Zoro please! Don’t be so hardheaded right now. You’re fighting three gorgons, you’ll die” Perona tried to discourage him but the green-haired hunter was intent.

“Perona, bring me to them”

* * *

“Amaryllis! I can’t believe you were so near to break our sacred law! I have always reminded you to stay away from humans” Hancock scolded, “And of all people you could have involved with, you chose a hunter! You could have gotten yourself killed”

Amaryllis said nothing as they waited in an empty island together with other lamias for their ship to arrive. She took a deep breath, it was inevitable but she didn’t think they would separate like this. Zoro must hate her right now.

“You must know that that because of this, you will not be able to leave Amazon Lily anymore” Hancock said her ultimatum

“Isn’t that a little too much sister?” Sandersonia said

The youngest felt both of their gazes fall on her, “I think she knows this is already bound to happen. I will not allow you leave again, for your own good”

As they waited by the sea, they were interrupted by a flashing light on one side of the island.

“I’ll go check on it” Sandersonia went together with a handful of lamias towards the light which had already disappeared. After a few minutes, they hear battle cries and clashing of metal from the direction of the light.

Whoever their attacker was, it was slowly approaching their position. The lamias hissed and stayed in front of the Empress and princess to protect them. Amaryllis casted her navigation spell and armed her hands with a fire spell, but she could not detect anything but a strong presence in from of them, it all happened to fast and all she knows is a figure attacked Hancock head on.

“You dare follow us hunter?” Hancock deflected Zoro’s swords using magic and looked at her fallen comrades, “You are more skilled than I thought”

“I’m going to make you pay for what you did”

“A lot of your kind have said the same things but they all ended up losing their lives”

Zoro did not waste any time and began to attack Hancock only to be blocked of by an injured Sandersonia.

Her sister was clutching a wound at the side of his stomach, “He’s using a demon sword sister and the rest of his swords are made of pure silver”

Amaryllis trembled as she felt pure rage coming from Zoro, so this what it feels like to become his enemy. She has to get them out of here, a lot of the lamia’s are injured from his rampage.

“Princess, the ship is here” a lamia pointed at a huge ship with the symbol of the Kuja tribe engraved at its hull.  
Hancock heard it as well and commanded, “Amaryllis, get Sandersonia and the others to the ship and set sail to Amazon Lily. I will stay here”

“But sister—“

“Go now!” Hancock commanded sternly and teleported all of them to the ship against Amaryllis will, she was about to go back and stop them but Sandersonia collapsed upon stepping on the ship’s deck

“Sister!” Amaryllis ran quickly towards her and knelt to assess her wound. It was very deep and reeked demonic energy, “He was using a cursed sword”, she then placed a purifying spell and instructed the lamias to take Sandersonia to the ship’s infirmary.

“Princess, the Empress is not with you?” the lamia in charge of the ship asked

She worried glanced back at the island. Hancock had accepted Zoro’s challenge, there’s no going back until one of them wins. She shook her head. “No, but I’ll go back to the island to stop then when I make sure Sandersonia is out of danger. Set sail to Amazon Lily, we need to bring our people to the healers”

“Understood”

Amaryllis went immediately to the infirmary to check on her sister.

“Princess, the curse is very strong. We won’t be able to close the wound as long as it’s there”

“I’ll try to purify it for as long as I can, make sure she’s going to make it to Amazon Lily”, for the next hour, she spent most of her mana trying to remove the curse, she prayed that Zoro and her sister hadn’t killed each other yet until there came a loud explosion from a distance.

“No,no” Amaryllis whispered, she mustered up her remaining mana and teleported back to the island which was already on fire, almost destroyed from their battle. She could still feel their presence and began to search for them. She found Hancock first who was sprawled on the ground.

“Sister!” She quickly ran towards her and was relieved to hear that she’s still breathing. She carried her into the beach away from the burning forest. The Empress’ body was filled with deep wounds and most snakes in her hair was beheaded.

Her attention switched when she felt a presence just near them, her hostility did not fail to show, “Who’s there?” She yelled

“Please don’t hurt me” A woman’s voice pleaded, “I’m just here to take Zoro”

“Zoro? Is he alive?”

“Yes, he is. But he’s badly wounded, I’m sorry about your sister but please let us go”

Amaryllis’ features softened, relieved that Zoro was alright. She waved a hand at the woman, “Go, before my sister wakes up”

“Thank you Princess” the sea nymph said and disappeared into the water together with Zoro.

The gorgon began healing the wounds that she could heal until her sister regained consciousness.

“Amaryllis? Didn’t I tell you to go back to Amazon Lily?”

“I couldn’t leave you here”

“The hunter?” Hancock weakly asked

“He’s gone, someone took him away”

“Oh I see, it looks like I destroyed his home during the War. He was strong, Mihawk had trained him well”

Hancock held Amaryllis’ hand which was healing her, “Enough, we both know I’m not going to make it before sunrise.”

She felt her younger sister’s tears drop on her face, “Ah my sweet little Amaryllis. Don’t cry. I have a lot of things to confess to you and I hope you don’t hate me for it. Would you stay with me and listen?”

Amaryllis nodded and wiped her tears then shifted to put Hancock’s head on her lap.

“I’ve been a very bad sister Amaryllis, I hope you forgive me. Those years I have kept you in the island it was all but for a reason. I want to keep you safe from the outside.” Hancock began to cough blood but still continued, “Your eyes, they weren’t cursed by the gods. I was the one who put a spell on them”

“What do you mean?” She was baffled by her elder sister’s words.

“We, the gorgons, had always looked at ourselves as superior, considered humans as lesser beings. Our ancestors had made it a taboo to fall in love with a human. Our mother, was the first to break that rule and fell in love with a human, it infuriated the elders and the citizens and it angered them more when they found that she was pregnant with you, they almost out sent our family into outcast”

“But because there were no other gorgons who will inherit the position of Empress, they only let the Marigold, Sandersonia and I stay in the island and both of you were banished. I became Empress at a young age but I can’t do anything to bring you both back because I was still under the care of the elders until I come of age. Both of you stayed in Moby Dick until mother died. I was of age then and I was able to get you back and banish all the elders. Our mother’s mistakes and my mistakes. I don’t want you to repeat them, I wanted to keep you sheltered and protected until you become Empress. So I took away your sight”

Hancock reached up a hand and covered Amaryllis’ eyes. There was a bright glow and when she opened her eyes, she saw her sister smiling at her, bloody and wounded. She blinked, she could finally see.

“I’m sorry, I was blinded by my own desire. I took away your freedom” Hancock was beginning to weaken

“No, please stay with me. We can talk about it when we get home and I don’t mind just stay alive please. I can take us back to Amazon Lily with the mana I have left” Amaryllis cried and put her sister’s hand on her cheek.

But Hancock shook her head, “It’s time I atone for the people I’ve killed, for the homes I have destroyed. The hunter, his conviction was strong and he fought bravely. You chose well”

“The barrier I have set up around Amazon Lily will disappear once I die” The Empress continued, “Hunters and opportunists might come to the island to exploit our people. Make sure you protect them”

Amaryllis nodded as Hancock’s eyes became cloudy and her breathing began to recede.

“Follow your heart, little sister. You’re free now”

* * *

The sun was about to rise when she arrived in Sarpedon carrying her sister’s body. The lamias were waiting for them, standing and lining up towards the gate making a path for her. Everyone was quiet until she reached Amazon Lily where Marigold was waiting for her together with Sandersonia who was being supported by a few lamias. They said nothing as well, and joined her as they walked towards the throne room where there was a marble coffin surrounded by many flowers. Amaryllis carefully place her sister inside and plucked a single piece of amaryllis and put it in Hancock’s hands. The entire kingdom was silent as they laid their Empress to rest.


	14. Yearning

“Zoro” Perona called, “You’re being summoned”

“Hah? Who is it?” Zoro glared at her, he doesn’t like it when someone interrupts him while he’s cleaning his swords

“It’s not me. Akainu’s calling for you, he’s up in the deck with Mihawk”

Zoro groaned and stood up. Once he got out of his cabin, he went to find the persons of interest. On the deck was a large man wearing a red shirt and pants, and smoking a large piece of tabacco, beside him was Mihawk.

“Good to see you’re alive” He heard Akainu say as he approached the two

“What do you want?” Zoro asked

“No need to get grumpy. I just want to see the hunter who killed the invincible Empress Hancock. Because of you, the barrier protecting Amazon Lily is destroyed. You’ve given a lot of hunters a chance to gain some drachma”

Zoro looked around, there must be around 10 ships sailing as a fleet towards the island of Amazon Lily and it all carried hunters in its cabins. It’s been a week since his battle with the gorgon and Perona was able to save him from the burning island. But she said that when she arrived there, The Empress was no where to be seen. Three days ago, there had been reports of an island appearing from no where. There had been rumors that the Amazon Lily’s barrier disappeared because of the Empress death and now, many hunters are setting sail towards the island hoping to find their fortune

“Well, if you don’t mind, can you leave the rest of the gorgons for us to kill?” Akainu asked not hiding the bloodlust in his voice, “I want to see for myself if these gorgons are as strong as they say”

Hunters like him disgust Zoro but he didn’t care anyway. He just tagged along with Mihawk to see the island. After killing Hancock, he already lost his will to fight anymore.

“Go ahead, do as you like.” He simply said and walked away. He felt like wanting to get some fresh air so he went to the stern of the ship, he leaned on the railing and tried to relax. He wasn’t able to sleep well recently, he kept on dreaming about Amaryllis. He kept convincing himself that she’s a traitor, that she had just been playing with him but a part of him denies everything he’s thinking.

“Psst” Someone called out for him, he glanced around and saw no one behind him

“Down here” Robin waved from the water which made him frown

“What do you want? Do you want to die?” He snapped, “Or have you come to make fun of me after the deception you all have done”

“Believe what you want” The sea witch frowned at him, “I was just told to bring this back to you” Then she threw a white sheathed sword up to him which he caught, it was Kuina’s sword.

“Who told you?”

“Amaryllis of course. She asked me to find it for you when we were still in Dressrosa. Now that my work is done I shall take my leave” Robin sunk back into the water but after a few minutes she resurfaced again and said, “She didn’t mean to deceive you. Amaryllis isn’t that kind of person, she only cared for her people and she cared for you. It was a hard decision for her, she was bound by responsibilities and truth be told, the time she had with you was the only time she felt free. Please think about that before you destroy her home”

* * *

“So far we’ve successfully warded off another wave of hunters who try to access the island” One of the lamia war generals reported. Amaryllis frowned at the map spread in front of her.

“It seems they’re trying to access the island from different locations” Marigold noticed, “It might be good to add more troops at the east part of the island where it’s the weakest.”

“That might be a good idea. We cant afford to have a breach. The mating season was just over, a lot of our people are might be pregnant” Sandersonia agreed, “What do you think Amaryllis?”

“I think that’s a good decision but more and more will come for us. We need to find a way to replace the barrier as soon as possible”

“I think so too but no one knew how that barrier was made. Only Hancock knows”

“Maybe we could ask for help for the Kingdom of Raftel. They’re quite adept with magic” Sandersonia suggested.

“But we don’t have a treaty with them, they might deny our request. Or they might be allied with the hunters” Marigold countered

Amaryllis fell deep into her thoughts, casting a barrier around the whole island requires an advanced level of knowledge and a large amount of mana to maintain it. Hancock was a powerful gorgon, she could have easily done it but Amaryllis is a Halfling and her mana is only limited, she might not successfully create a barrier. Her brain is being drilled, it’s only been a few days after she became Empress but she already has an invasion impending on her reign.

A loud knock on the council room took her out of her thoughts.

“Come in” Marigold said and a lamia came in the door

“We’ve received reports from nearby islands. They say that there’s a fleet of about 10 ships headed in our direction.”

“What?!”

“Where are they? When are they going to arrive”

“They might arrive tomorrow morning. They say that they saw strong hunters in the fleet including the hunter that killed the Empress”

“Amaryllis! What are we going to do? They’re planning to attack us head on” Sandersonia asked

Her mind was suddenly filled with Zoro, he’s come to finish his vengeance and go for their heads. She understands his pain but she’s not going to let her people die. “Prepare for an all-out war, make sure that every able bodied lamia is given a weapon and armor. The children, elderly and pregnant are to evacuate to Sarpedon. Those hunters will ransack the island and will not to hesitate kidnap or kill our people.”

“Understood, Empress”

Amaryllis found herself in Hancock’s burial chamber moments later. She knelt on her tombstone and cried out, “Sister. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have fallen for a human, now our people are in danger. Help me sister, tell me what should I do”


	15. Coming back for You

Zoro strapped on his swords as they approached a large island where large white marble structures stood. Most of the hunters in the other ships are preparing for battle, excited to get a loot. But Mihawk only sat on his chair and took notes of the infamous island.

“You’re not going in the island” Zoro asked

“I’m not interested in mindless slaughter” Mihawk answered, “You can join them if you want”

Zoro was not interested either and would prefer to head back home but for some reason he want to go to the island, to see Amaryllis. Without any thought, he jumped on another ship what advanced towards the island.

* * *

“Empress, the people have been evacuated and the soldiers are ready to defend the island”

Amaryllis took a deep breath, they have come just like Hancock said. They are at a disadvantage as the hunters wield silver as their weapons. It would be a tormenting battle but just as she promised her sister, she will protect their people. She did not wear any armor and only wore a white dress that reached above her knees. She had prepared for this all night, finding her courage in her sister's tomb. Taking her sword in her hand, she waited as the hunter’s ships to dock in their beaches.

She closed her eyes and prayed that her strength and her magic would be enough to protect her people

* * *

It was total chaos, despite trying to cut down their numbers with their archers, they keep coming. Most of her people are tired, they had been in battle for hours and the sun will set soon. Their precious island has turned into rubble. Silver canons, guns and swords had weakened their defenses, a lot of her people are dying. She just hoped that those who evacuated in Sarpedon will be safe if they failed to protect the Amazon Lily.

“I’m sorry sister, I have failed” She huffed as another hunter attacked her, she swiftly dodged and cut him down. She’s at her limit and drained, she hoped that Marigold and Sandersonia are still alive. Walking through the empty palace hallways, she went to find her way back into the battle field when a huge man stopped her in her tracks.

“I’m looking for gorgons. Do you know where they are?” he asked bluntly while casually smoking his tobacco. Amaryllis frowned, the man was covered in blood and looked like a strong hunter.

“Hey, speak up before I cut you down” He said, showing her his blood stained swords. She did not dally any longer and swung her sword at him as cold rage fueled her tired body.

“Well, isn’t this my lucky day” The man laughed as he looked at her yellow irises, “The gorgon decided to show up at my mercy. I’ll have your head woman”

He was quick and very strong, Amaryllis had a hard time avoiding him. Even using magic, he was able to catch up to her. He brought down his sword on her with great strength that her knees nearly buckled at the force, “What’s wrong little gorgon? Tired already? How about you give me a little more fun” He said, pushing the tip of his sword to her neck.

Using what’s left of her mana, she casted an explosive spell on his face. He retreated, holding his injured face.

“You bitch!” He screamed and prepare to swing once more, this time she felt someone grab her waist and pull her away from the hunter followed by some of the pillars in corridor falling on him.

Zoro came into view in front of her, his face looking grim and angry while looking at her. He’s come to kill her. There’s an only a slim chance that she could fight back, all of her strength and pride crumbled.

“Kill me, take my head and stop this war. Please kill me and leave my people be.” She said

He approached her but instead of ending her, he sheathed his swords. He carried her away from the palace into the woods and put her down to let her lean on a tree.

“Are you alright?” he asked

“Zoro?”

“Yeah, it’s me”

“Why didn’t you kill me?” She asked

“I’m not here to kill you” he answered and made her drink in a canteen of water. Somehow she felt relieved and happy that she was able to see him again

"My revenge was fulfilled, I do not wish to spill anymore blood"

He quietly wiped her face from soot and let her rest.

“Your hair is really green” she mused

“I keep on telling you that it’s green—Wait, you can see?”

“Long story” She groaned and tried to stand up, “I have to go, my people needs me”

“You have to rest, you’ve been using magic and physically fighting at the same time, your body cannot keep up.”

“But I promised my sister, I have to protect my home”

“Don’t worry about it, Mihawk and Perona are helping, they’re going around your kingdom as we speak.”

“Why?”

“We may be hunters but we do not kill for fun. And I kinda persuaded them by a few bags of drachma”

The gorgon was touched, it must not have been easy, “Thank you”

“I’m sorry about you sister, I was blinded by my rage at that time and I just—“

Amaryllis shook her head, “No need to explain yourself. My sister had always wanted to atone for the sins she had done. What you’ve lost can never be replaced, she knows what her actions will cost”. She noticed the white sword on Zoro’s waist, “Oh, Robin found your sword. That’s good”

“I have this to thank you as well, if it weren’t for you this would have been left in the bottom of the ocean”

“It’s the least I can do, I have kept secrets from you, you might have thought that I deceived you but believe me, I didn’t. What I showed you during our time together was genuinely me”

Zoro pulled her in his arms, “I know, and it’s my fault that I rushed into conclusions and let my feelings get over me.”

Her heart felt like it was going to overflow with emotions. Was she even allowed to feel these feelings? Right now, she doesn’t want to separate from Zoro anymore. Oh gods, please give her a chance.

Their reunion did not last long as they heard screams coming from the palace.

“Akainu does not know how to give up”

“Is he the man I fought earlier?” she asked

“Yes, we have to get out of here before he catches up to us” He helped Amaryllis up and they ran into the forest.

“He’s a very strong hunter, he’s up to par with Mihawk but he prefers to do things as inhumane as possible. We have to get out of here and find your sisters—”

“Zoro” Amaryllis stopped in her tracks

“Come on, we shouldn’t stop”

“Zoro” her voice turned into a whisper and when he turned around he saw a silver arrow impaled in Amaryllis’ chest

“Amaryllis!!” he caught her in time as she fell down. At a distance behind then he saw Akainu loading another arrow in his bow, ready to shoot again.

He carried Amaryllis and ran deeper in the woods. Akainu’s laugh could be heard, chasing after them.

“Leave me Zoro” Amaryllis weakly said, “Go save yourself”

“I’m not leaving you”

He ran until he reached a small temple in a cliff overlooking the sea. He quickly entered and looked for a room to hide.

He used his sword to break the arrowhead then pulled the rest of the arrow from her chest. Zoro removed his shirt and pressed it on Amaryllis’ wound. The silver had quickly diffused in her system as the wound was near the heart, Amaryllis’ breathing became more labored as minutes passed.

“I’m not going to leave you” Zoro said again then stood up to unsheathe all of his swords as he heard Akainu enter the temple.

“Zoro! I thought you said that, the other gorgons are mine? Now give her to me” His voice echoed in the empty rooms. Zoro closed the door where Amaryllis was in and barricaded it from the outside

“I changed my mind” Zoro yelled back, stalking around the hallways to find Akainu. He saw him waiting at a room that looks like a large prayer room.

“You’re not siding with the monsters that destroyed your village, are you?” Akainu said, trying to provoke him

Zoro did not reply further as his opponent charged at him and tried to overwhelm him with a strong swipe of his sword, he was able to block it and jumped away as Akainu charged again. Zoro swung his sword, the large man yelled in pain as he almost sliced his throat. His half-burned face glared at him with rage. So he pushed Zoro into a wall making him let go two of his swords then punched him the stomach. He bit his lip as Akainu threw him across the room.  
Zoro coughed as he stood up again, his swords were nowhere out of reach and all that’s left is Kuina’s sword, he unsheathed it and prepared for a final strike.  
He took and deep breath, “Watch over me Kuina” He whispered then jumped towards Akainu who stabbed Zoro in the stomach, It was a lot of pain but he did not recoil. Instead, he pushed his sword on his enemy’s neck and twisted it. Akainu fell down dead a few moments later.

Removing the sword from his stomach, he went to find Amaryllis.

* * *

Amaryllis opened her eyes, her eyelids felt heavy but she tried to keep it open. She could hear the waves crashing just beneath them and observed that they were in the old temple at the edge of the cliff. She looked up to see Zoro’s face looking at her lovingly but his face is pale and tired.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to protect you" he said but she shook your head.

"Thank you for coming for me. You can let me go here" Amaryllis began to cast a large magic circle, attempting to use her soul to create a barrier, it's the least she can do for her people, it might help them survive somehow.

But Zoro did not let her go. Realizing that he's trying to do , Amaryllis tried to push him off, "No, please leave me here, you have to live"

He ignored her, held her close and asked, “Say Amaryllis, will you start over with me?”

Amaryllis cried and nodded, weakly wiping Zoro's tears away.

A bright light enveloped the whole island as they fell from the cliff into the cold water and slowly sunk into the abyss in each other's arms


	16. I Can See You

“Zoro! Hey Zoro!” 

Zoro opened his eyes to see Luffy shaking him awake, behind him stood Robin and Chopper, looking worried

“What are you all looking at?” he yawned and asked

“You were crying in your sleep Zoro” Chopper said and only did Zoro notice that his cheeks are wet. He quickly wiped them off.

“Had a bad dream?” Robin asked

“I don’t know, I slept like a log” he stood up and stretched

“Well then instead of spending your time sleeping, you should go to the market and get some supplies. You go and accompany Sanji” Nami handed him a list. They were docked in an island with a small market and they have to refill their supplies because of their ravenous captain.

“Hah? Why do I have to go with the shitty cook?” Zoro complained

“I did not choose to go with you either sea weed head!” Sanji yelled from the kitchen.

In the end, after a few punches from Nami, they ended up going together. Zoro held the supplies while Sanji was choosing and buying. While waiting for Sanji in a fish stall, he saw a woman walking towards his direction, she had long black hair styled into a simple braid, wore a blue dress and was carrying as basket with red star shaped flowers. Her purple eyes fixed on him as she walked past.

“Hey Zoro” Sanji called out to him, carrying the seafood he had bought, “Is there something wrong?”

“Nothing” Zoro said. He did not look back to find the woman but instead he followed Sanji to the next stall and for some reason he could not help but smile.

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading this story!  
> I hope you have enjoyed it!  
> I had a lot of fun writing it. 
> 
> I am always happy to hear your thoughts in the comments. And for any suggestions and fanfic requests, I'll be glad to hear them out.

**Author's Note:**

> Here's another One Piece fanfic.  
> I hope you'll enjoy reading this and support my work as you did in the first one.  
> I will be posting two or three chapters weekly.
> 
> Comments and Suggestions are highly appreciated. Thank you for reading!!


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